Courageous Duality
by LumiOlivier
Summary: Five years after the Kokiri Village has been burned by the Gerudo King's newest apprentice, Link gathers the intestinal fortitude to go back and pay his respects to his old home. Until he finds his true destiny deep within the Lost Woods (Takes place after OoT) **Updates Every Tuesday**
1. The Girl in the Ashes

**A/N: Oh, hi! I don't think we've met. I've never written Zelda fic before. Well, it'd be rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Lumi and I've been gaming since I was four years old. I've written fic for an otome game before and for a *coughcoughyaoicoughcough* game before, but never anything more…Traditional, for lack of a better word. Where better to start than with a game that proceeds to rip my heart out and put it back in my chest over and over and over again? In case you're curious, overall, my favorite is Twilight Princess (especially in HD. I can't gush enough about it in HD. GOD it's a pretty game!). Breath of the Wild is incredible. Ocarina of Time is ICONIC. Clearly, I know what I'm talking about. It's my absolute favorite franchise and I don't think I'll ever be over it.**

 **Now! I had an idea a while back that I thought would make a hell of a storyline for a co-op Zelda game. This, my dear friends, is that storyline. (Also, if those crazy kids at the Treehouse happen to see this and want to make it happen, hit a sister up!) Enjoy!**

"Please…" a woman's voice, hoarse from crying, shook with fear, "Take him. He can't have them together."

"Find peace, my dear," a deeper voice rumbled, hoping she'd relax, "I will care for the boy. For his is no ordinary child, is he?"

Images of the Great Deku Tree flashed through my mind. All of a sudden, a roaring fire swept through the forest. Everything burned…The woman…The Great Deku Tree…The Lost Woods hardly stayed standing. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about the village. The entire Kokiri Village had turned to ash. Everyone I ever knew and loved, swallowed by flames. I could almost feel them. Then, I saw the face of a blonde girl with a light dusting of freckles on her cheeks. And the most shimmering blue eyes. They were angry, but scared. Where was she? And who was she?

I burst out of bed, pouring out a cold sweat. My bed, my house, the view of the Kakariko Village out my window. A dream…It's just a dream. But it's been the same dream every night for the past week. Maybe it was a sign. It was getting to be that time of the year again. Has it really been that long already?

Five years. Five years since the Kokiri Village was burned down. The rumor was that the Gerudo King had something to do with it, but in even more hushed whispers, the Gerudo King hand an apprentice. His right-hand man…Or should I say his princess? She was more ruthless than he could ever be. I had heard some of what the Gerudo King has done. How could anyone be worse? All I hope is that I never cross paths with her.

I got out of bed and laced my boots. The Kokiri Forest had served as my home for as long as I could remember. I missed it, but after the Great Deku Tree burned and the land had been permanently scorched, I couldn't bring myself to go back. However, something about today felt right, though. It was finally time.

According to some of the soldiers from the tavern in Kakariko, the Kokiri were not entirely lost in the fire. The remaining sought refuge throughout the Lost Woods, forming clans and smaller villages in different corners. Before I went into the Lost Woods, I needed to face the one thing I had been truly dreading.

The entire village wiped out like it was nothing. The sight of the charred ruins was enough to make my stomach turn. What was once a bright, beautiful, bustling village had been reduced to a pile of darkened rubble. The smell of woodfire still hung in the air. On the ground, in one of the burned houses, a small, terra cotta flute laid in the ashes. This handmade ocarina…This was the same one Saria had given to me so many years ago. You shouldn't be here in this condition. I wiped off the thick layer of soot and slipped it into my pocket. Hopefully, if I find her in the Lost Woods, I can return it to her and she can play for me like she did back then. I remember the sweet sound it made like it was yesterday. It didn't sound as clear as mine, but in its own way, it rang so gentle through the trees. I missed her.

The Lost Woods didn't feel the same. At one time, Saria and I would run around here, playing hide and seek, following the soft notes of her ocarina. It always kept us from getting lost or too far away from each other. Saria knew these woods like the back of her hand, so I was never worried about us getting lost. Never in a million lifetimes did I ever think it would turn into a refugee camp like this. The Lost Woods for the truly lost. There was no music in these woods anymore

As I got deeper into the woods and daylight was fading quickly, they started playing tricks with my mind. I could hardly keep my eyes open. The little imp that inhabited these woods before the Kokiri found refuge here liked to make its fun by using magic to get them to lose their way. Sometimes, it'd even make one see things that weren't there before. Saria and I had fallen victim of the imp a time or two before. All he wanted was a friend, though. If we indulged him, eventually, he'd leave us alone. Maybe he never left.

Actually, I didn't see any signs of the Kokiri anywhere. Was the imp playing his games? Or worse…No. I couldn't think like that. Everyone's ok, I'm sure. They're just not in my path. I'll find one clan eventually. I have to, right? All of a sudden, I heard some rustling in the trees. Instinctively, I grabbed for my sword. Perhaps I'm just being paranoid. In the old days, it wasn't exactly uncommon for the Kokiri children to hide up in the trees.

Out of nowhere, a pack of moblins jumped out, teeth bared, weapons ready. I wasn't expecting a fight today, but if they're going to start it, I might as well finish it. The moblins and I had a standoff. Who was going to attack first? Me or them? If I leave them alone, will they leave me alone? Doubt it. I've dealt with plenty of moblins and bokoblins in my time. These guys seemed like low level fighters. Until they started attacking. Thank Hylia I had a good shield. They all started inching toward me, ready to beat me into the ground.

Just before they could begin their attack, a voice shouted from the trees, "Stand down! No harm shall come to this boy!"

A girl…? She jumped out of the tree she was perched in. Even more troubling, all of the moblins started to fall back. Although I was grateful for the rescue, I couldn't help but be nervous. Why would they have listened to her? How was this girl able to control all of the moblins that, at a moment's notice, would be more than happy to tear me apart limb from limb? Regardless, I can appreciate the small victories for now.

"Thank you," I bowed, keeping my guard up.

In one fluid motion, the girl drew her bow, resting the tip of her arrow on my throat. Almost comical how much smaller she was than me, yet this girl showed no fear or hesitation, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Please, my lady," I pleaded, sheathing my sword, "I mean you no ill will. I'm merely passing through."

"That tells me nothing," she kept her position, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I used to live here a long time ago," I explained myself, slowly lowering her arrow, "In the village."

"You're not Kokiri," the girl pointed out, "If you were, you could be a hundred years old and not look a day over six. You age differently. You're lying to me."

"No lies pass my lips," I assured, "I understand how it may seem that way, but I promise, my lady. I'm not. I did live in the Kokiri Village before it burned. I'm only looking for any of the refugee camps."

"You're here for no other reason?" she began lowering her bow.

"No," I shook my head, "I just want to see if any of them have made it."

"You're Hylian," she poked at me, "Aren't you?"

"Yes."

The girl studied me closer, "You said you lived here once. Where do you live now?"

"Kakariko," I told her, "Just across Hyrule Field."

"I know where Kakariko Village is," she scoffed, "At the foot of Death Mountain in the Eldin Province."

"That's right," I nodded, "If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to go now."

"I'm sure you would," a little smirk stretched across her face, "But that would be a little bit of trouble for me. What did you say your name was, Fake Kokiri?"

"I didn't," I introduced myself, "My name is Link."

"Well, Link," she slung her bow across her chest, "Come with us."

"Do you know where any of the refugee camps are?" I perked up.

"I know these woods," she started walking off, "And I only know of one refugee camp. So, come with us."

"Why?" I reached for the hilt of my sword. I didn't want to fight this girl, but if I had to, I would.

"Because," she skipped ahead, "You don't strike me as the type that doesn't value his life. Nor do you come off as stupid, so put your toys away, ok?"

How did she…? If she had control over these moblins, I'm sure she had to have eyes in the back of her head. They all looked at her like she was an afternoon snack. One strong gust of wind could probably knock her over. My head told me to start running far and fast in the opposite direction, but my gut said otherwise. So, I followed her along with the small group of moblins.

"Hold on," I caught up to her, "You're the one asking all the questions, but I have no idea who you are. Or how you managed to control those moblins."

"The moblins are mine," the girl flashed a pin from the lapel of her deep green cloak. A diamond shaped pin with two circles on opposing corners. That was a Gerudo crest. Once we got into some better light, I noticed she had come by the pin honestly. Her bright, flaming red hair she had pulled back shined in the moonlight, "And you call me Captain Luna."

 **A/N: *in JonTron voice* I have several questions. And I'm sure you do, too. All of which will be answered in due time. You'll see. It's been so nice hanging around with you guys for the brief time we had together. I promise the next chapter will be a bit longer and things will pick up a little more. Link's weird dream, the shattered remains of the Kokiri Village, the Captain. I promise it'll all make sense. Just hang with me. See you next chapter. xx**


	2. Making the House a Home

**A/N: Hi, guys! Well, guy. Right now, it's only got one favorite, but I still have total faith in this story! However, wherever there's a scrap of hope, someone has to come in and ruin that for me. So, to the gutless wonder that left the following review last week. Ahem…**

 ** _This is such a pity. You have a nice and fluent writing style, the start was so enjoyable – but then you promptly went and inserted some cliché "super badass" Mary S- errr, OC. WHY._**

 **First of all, the fact that you jumped to that conclusion in the first chapter is the true pity. The fact that you're not even giving the story a chance makes my heart hurt. I'm sorry that you feel that way and I'm even more sorry that you're trying to tell me how to write my story that came from my imagination. I think that's a concept that tends to get lost when we're on the internet. Especially fic writers in particular. Art is always something that's open to interpretation. And this is mine. No one can take that away from me. And the same goes for you, aspiring fic writers. I just thought I'd share it with you because it'd be an even bigger pity to keep it to myself. Now that I'm down from my soapbox, how about we get back to the real reason we're all here, ok? For those that are ACTUALLY enjoying the story.**

I never thought I'd see the day where I walked side by side with monsters. They all wanted to kill me. I know it. The same went for the Captain. She led us closer and closer to the refugee camp. Every once in a while, Captain Luna would shoot glances over her shoulder. It remained unclear whether they were checking on the moblins or on me. If Luna wanted me dead, all she'd have to do is snap her fingers and these moblins wouldn't think twice.

Something was off about her. From the second we met, Luna carried herself like royalty, but if it came down to it, she could probably kill a man with her bare hands. She wouldn't let the moblins hurt me, but she didn't hesitate to draw her bow on me. Did she save me from them only so that she could kill me herself? We had never met before today. What reason could she possibly have for wanting me dead?

There always was the possibility Luna didn't want me dead. If that was the case, why? Out of the goodness of her heart? Luna seemed more like the type to expect repayment in the form of favors. Had she heard anything about me? In all of Hyrule, there aren't many Hylians named Link. I'm sure that was nothing to worry about. For now, I needed to find any signs of a Kokiri refugee camp. I just needed to know some were still alive.

A little further into the Lost Woods, we stumbled on a clearing with a decent sized camp already established, by the looks of it. A few tents were set up, some firewood had been gathered, and this had to be one of the refugee camps. However, I don't think it belonged to any Kokiri I knew. At least, it didn't anymore.

"Alright, boys," Captain Luna ordered, "Home sweet home. You! Get to making the fire. You! Find us some food. I'm famished. A wolf and a few foxes should do it. But if you find elk or boar, feel free to bring that back, too."

"Excuse me, Captain," I followed her back toward her tent, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Eager one, aren't you?" she figured, sizing me up, "You want something to do, Fake Kokiri? Go gather some herbs. There's a patch of them growing wild around the river bank. It's about half a mile east of here."

"Ok." The less time I spent close to them, the better chance I have of coming out of this alive.

"And by the way," Captain Luna assured, "I won't have too many of mine around you, but there will be some. As far as you're concerned, you're our…Well, let's just say we don't want you running off. But you're smarter than that. You wouldn't do something so reckless."

It wouldn't be the first time I've slipped a group of moblins. It probably wouldn't be the last either. If I wanted to leave, I'm sure I could. But I still needed to gather herbs, though. Luna didn't specify which kind, though. Nor did she say their purpose. Were they for cooking? Were they for medicines? I couldn't speak much for moblins, but I knew there were some herbs that could be used topically. However, if they're ingested, they could prove to be fatal. Especially if it's the wrong combination.

I grabbed a handful of herbs, both good for cooking and good for medicines, and put them into my bag. Just as I was starting to turn around and head back to camp, a school of bass swimming upstream caught my eye. A thick branch hung low in front of my face. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to just…

 _Snap!_

I sat on a boulder at the edge of the river bank and ran the branch along the blade of my short sword. Something about accepting food from moblins didn't seem right. How was I supposed to know if they were going to poison me or not? A few bass wouldn't be a half bad idea. Using my sword as a spear wouldn't be right. I don't want the blade to rust and grow brittle. The makeshift spear would work just as well. And scoring extra points with the Captain can't hurt, right?

Just take careful aim…

Wait patiently…

HYAH!

I stabbed the water and pulled four fish from one spearing! Nice! They were pretty heavy, too! I'm sure we could feed a lot off these fish. And if any of the other moblins bring back any large game, we'll eat like kings. I wish I had some kind of line to hang these on, but unfortunately, I didn't have that kind of foresight. Catching any fish wasn't in the plans, but I'm sure the extra food would be appreciated. I'll just carry them on the spear.

When I got back to camp, a couple of the moblins had come back with their game. We had the wolf and couple of foxes as the Captain requested while I set up the spit of my own spoils over the fire. They all looked at me in sheer disbelief. Captain Luna came back out of her tent, curious about all the commotion.

"What are you all going on about?" she shoved her way through, "Who brought the fish? I said that the foxes and the wolf would be fine."

"I did," I owned up to it. There's no way I'd let any of the others take credit for this, "The river was full of them when I went to find herbs. I couldn't pass them up."

Luna studied them a little closer, "Nicely done, Fake Kokiri. I didn't ask for fish, but yet, here you are. Did you at least get the herbs I asked for?"

"I got those, too!" I emptied my bag.

"Alright," she let me go, taking some of the freshly cooked wolf off the fire, "Everyone eat and get some sleep. We're leaving in the morning."

Luna left us abruptly, hiding herself away back in her tent. She's not exactly the social type. I followed her back into her tent, demanding answers, "Captain…"

"What do you want, Fake Hylian?" Luna stuffed her face, "I'm busy."

"Would I be safe?" I wondered, "I mean, there are a bunch of moblins out there that probably want to get a swing at me."

"Don't worry," she rolled her eyes, "You'll be fine. The moblins out there aren't exactly the brightest stars in the sky, but they're loyal to a fault. What I say is law to them. That's why they're still with me."

"But…" I thought, "Ganondorf has moblins, doesn't he? Don't they all answer to him?"

"Ganondorf is a demon and needs to get dropkicked off a cliff!" Luna snapped, "I will not have his name mentioned in my presence!"

"Ok!" I backed off, "I'm sorry…"

"Forget him," she brushed me off, going back to her wolf. After a few minutes of nothing but grunting noises while she ate, Luna made herself a little more comfortable, "What are you doing here, Link?"

"What do you mean?" I gave her a look.

"Do you believe in destiny?" Luna asked, catching me a little off guard.

"I guess," I shrugged, "I never really thought about it much."

"Can I ask you one more question?"

"Go ahead."

"Something in your gut told you to come here today," she guessed, "Didn't it?"

Images from my dream flashed through my mind. The fire…The woman…Women, "Yes."

"I think it was destiny…"

"What about you?" I sat next to her, "Why are you here, Captain? In these woods."

"If we're being honest," Luna had pulled a deep gold colored blanket over her. It had a deep burgundy moon embroidered in the corner, "The moblins and I are here laying low."

"From what?"

"Don't worry about it," she got defensive again, changing the subject, "What's your hand to hand like?"

"Personally," I took my sheath off my back, "I'd much rather my sword than fighting hand to hand."

"Really?" Luna scoffed, "That?"

"What?" I looked the blade over, "Is there something wrong with it?"

"You expect to fight with that butter knife?" she giggled, "Come on. You couldn't hurt someone's feelings with that, let alone break the skin of a moblin."

"Why do you ask?" I shook her off, nursing the wound to my pride.

"We're not exactly strong in numbers," Luna pointed out, "We're going to need all the manpower we can get. And that would include you."

"No," I shot her down, "I'm sorry, Luna, but…"

"Captain," she corrected me. But then, she waived it, "You know what? We're in private. Keep it professional around the others, ok?"

"Sure," I agreed, "But I don't want to get involved in anything. Not this time around. All I wanted when I came through here was to find any surviving Kokiri. I need to know…"

Saria. I just wanted to know if Saria made it out and is somewhere in the woods. Besides, I still had her ocarina.

"There's something bigger than the Kokiri going on!" Luna snapped, "Ganondorf is planning something and you just want to know if your precious fake family made it out ok? Look around, Link. The kingdom is about to fall to ruin and you're worried about a people that probably don't even remember you or even accepted you as one of their own. Once you actually hit puberty, they knew you weren't one of them."

"You're wrong!" I defended, "They wouldn't…"

"Get some sleep," she cut me off, rolling over in her bed, "Like I said, we're leaving bright and early tomorrow morning. There's a refugee camp a little deeper in the woods. We'll take you there, so you can be with your fake tribe."

I figured it'd be best not to upset her any more, so I went and found a spot in one of the other tents. All of the other moblins were asleep and the fire was starting to die out. What was with her? Was it something I did? No. I didn't do anything. From the beginning, I told her that I was looking for a Kokiri refugee camp. Any of them would do. And now, because I'm not going to fight whatever battle she's fighting, she's going to get mad at me? Or was that just with everyone? Was I just being the kindhearted soul wanting to help her out or the selfish, has-been hero that wanted a break?

Luna did raise a point, though. I remember living with the Kokiri all those years ago and once I started aging differently, I was treated differently. Mostly by Mido. I knew I wasn't a natural born Kokiri. And Mido wouldn't let me live that down. You never had a fairy, Link. You're getting older, Link. I thought you were Kokiri. Then again, that's when Saria would usually yell at him. She always told me that he was jealous because the Great Deku Tree took more of an interest in me than in any of the others. Unfortunately, I never got to find out why.

I shut my eyes for a bit, trying to force myself to go to sleep. However, sleep would elude me. Any time I'd come remotely close, it'd be pulled out from under me. Mostly because bunking with monsters wasn't the ideal sleeping conditions. Maybe when we get to the refugees' village, I can manage to catch a nap there. Because there was no way I'd be able to sleep tonight. Counting lon lons wasn't going to work. But then, I heard a rustling from outside the tent.

"Link…" a soft voice spoke, "Link, are you awake?"

"Luna?" I opened my eyes, letting them adjust, "What are you doing in here?"

"Can't sleep?" she assumed.

"Yes," I admitted, "You?"

"Me, too," Luna nodded, "Look, I'm sorry about what I said. That wasn't ok."

"Thank you," I accepted, "But how do I know this isn't delirium talking?"

"Just trust me," I caught a glimpse of light emanating from behind her. She quickly shoved her hands in her pockets, "Come on. If you're having a hard time sleeping because of my moblins, you can come sleep in my tent. There's plenty of space."

"Really?" I sat up, "Thank you."

"No problem." I followed Luna back to her tent and found a bed already set up. Like she was planning this, "And just so we're clear, no funny business. You sleep on your side. I'll sleep on mine. Deal?"

"That's fine," I smiled, "Good night, Captain."

"Night, Fake Kokiri," she smiled back. Luna reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on who. I don't think I remember meeting any Gerudo lately. Maybe she blew into town at one time? No. That's not it. I'm sure it'll come to me eventually. Once I shut my eyes, I felt much more at ease. And sleep wouldn't be running away from me anymore.

 **A/N: Camp sounds cozy. Luna's starting to lighten up a little. But there was that light. Remember that light. That light is important. I'm telling you this now. And I'm definitely feeling Link's tiredness. As I'm finishing this, it's nearly 11PM. My dog is sleeping in her bed as we speak. I have a thing on AmbientMixer playing called Survey Corps Castle (and I imagine it's a lot of what their camp sounds like. Cackling fire. Echo-y halls. A light rain. It's really nice.) that's pulling me under. I'm going to go to sleep now. See you next chapter! xx**


	3. Bad Dreams

**A/N: Hello. I'm talking directly to you. You know who you are. For the things I've said in the past week, I'm sorry. You were right. They were kneejerk reactions and I'm sorry for being kind of a bitch. I know you said you weren't going to keep going with this story and that's entirely your choice, so odds are, you're not going to see this anyway, but I am sorry. But there are other people that are still reading this, so I'm going to keep going.**

In the middle of the night, a loud scream echoed through the tent. All of the moblins still slept like the dead, but I woke up in an instant panic. Physically, I was ok. We weren't under attack or anything. I don't think any Kokiri would be dumb enough to come upon a moblin camp and start swinging their wooden swords. Even their best swordsmen (which, honestly, I was their best.) wouldn't be able to take them on. When I went back in the tent, Luna sat up in her bed, completely out of breath. I never thought I'd ever see her so...so scared. Slowly, I approached her bed. Luna's already shaking. I didn't want to make her worse.

"Luna?" I spoke softly, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she shooed me away. The same light from earlier in the night shined a bit brighter. I tried to see what it was, but as soon as I got close, it went out, "Just a doozy of a nightmare."

"You want to talk about it?" I offered, sitting next to her.

"I'd rather not," she quivered, "It was bad, Link. Really bad. I wouldn't want you to have it, too."

"I'll be ok," I assured, doing my best to offer what little comfort I could, "But if you don't need to talk, that's fine. You know where I'll be if you do."

"Thank you," Luna laid back down in her bed while I got back up to go back to my own, "Hey, Link?"

"Yes?"

"It was Ganondorf," she opened up, "He came to me in my dream. I don't know if it was my own doing or if he used his magic, but he came to me."

"What happened?" I treaded lightly.

"He kept saying over and over," Luna cringed, "Remember the mission, Luna. Remember the mission. If I never heard that mission, I'd be in a lot better shape."

"Mission?" she piqued my interest.

"It's a long story," she began, dragging her bed closer to mine, "I wasn't always hiding in the Lost Woods, you know. I grew up in the Gerudo Desert. My house was right in the heart of the valley. Shira took me in when I was just a baby."

"Who's Shira?" I covered her up a little better. Something tells me that Luna isn't exactly a pleasant creature when she gets sick.

"The Gerudo woman who raised me," Luna went on, "She'd tell me the story of how she found me whenever I couldn't sleep. I was crying behind a giant boulder out in Hyrule Field. Shira said that once she had me in her arms, I stopped crying and turned into the happiest baby she had ever seen."

"She sounds like a wonderful woman."

"She is," she smiled, but her smile was short lived, "She was anyway. I lived with the Gerudo for as long as I could remember. She made me look as Gerudo as possible, so I'd blend in with all the others and no one would pick on me for being different, calling me a fake Gerudo. That didn't stop them, though."

"Where have I heard this before?" I jabbed, trying to make light of the situation.

"Shut up," Luna gave me a little shove, "When I was little, Shira told me about our king. The great Gerudo King Ganondorf. The only male to be born in a hundred years."

"And he gave you the mission," I assumed.

"You're getting ahead of me," Luna stopped me, "Shira said I'd meet him one day. She was a seer. Before she died, Shira had a vision of me meeting Ganondorf. Despite her vision saying there was something off about him, she told me to go with him. I wasn't going to deny her dying wish. So, the next morning, I went to the castle and took his hand. Every day was rigorous training, checking under my bed at night, not for monsters, but for assassins. I grew closer and closer to him and won his favor, becoming his right-hand man. Anything he wanted done, I'd do it. Raids, siege. I became Ganon's perfect soldier."

"Hold on," I thought for a moment, "Luna, can I ask you something and you answer it honestly, no judgment?"

"Go ahead," she winced, knowing what I'd say next.

"Are you..." I braced myself a bit, "Are you the Gerudo Princess?"

"I hate that name," Luna growled, "I hate that name so much. I am not Ganon's princess. He's the one that started calling me that and every time he did, my stomach turned. When he gave me my final mission, I couldn't do it. He put a hit out on someone and it had to be by my hands. But I couldn't do it. I've done some very bad things. Things that I heavily regret, but Shira had to have seen something that would make that all worth it. She wasn't on Ganon's side."

Luna's eyes began swelling with tears. I couldn't let her go on anymore, "But because of that job, you took your moblins and left?"

"Exactly," her voice broke, "I told you. They're loyal to a fault and I'm the one that trained them. But never mind that. Go back to sleep, Link. We have to get you back to your Kokiri in the morning. I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's alright," I settled her, "Good night, Luna."

"Night."

Luna rolled over, her back toward me. I could see her still shaken and light sobs came from her pillows. There was no way she was going back to sleep so easily and I couldn't leave her like this. Saria's ocarina gave me an idea, "Hey, Luna?"

"What?" she snapped a little. Sleeplessness made her angry. Good to know.

"Are you ok? Really?"

"No, but I'll manage," Luna brushed me off, "Go back to sleep, Fake Kokiri."

"Alright," I let her go, "But before I do, could I play you a song?"

"What do you mean?" she peeked over her shoulder.

"Well," I grabbed the flute out of my bag, "I know how to play one of these."

"That's an ocarina," Luna sat up, "Isn't it?"

"A friend of mine made it," I nodded, "She's Kokiri. You say you know these woods well? No one knows them as well as she does. She used to play this all the time when we were younger, before the village burned. And she taught me. Not only that, but Princess Zelda taught me the song of the Hyrule Royal Family. Her attendant used it as her lullaby as a baby."

"You know Princess Zelda?" she gasped, "Aren't we well connected."

"She's a good friend," I smiled, "Could I play it for you?"

"Go ahead," Luna allowed, "But play softly. High pitched noises wake the moblins."

"Alright," I took in a deep breath and played the Song of the Royal Family for her. Luna's eyes grew heavier and heavier with every note. Impa wasn't joking when she said it worked as a lullaby. This ocarina wasn't even enchanted, but Luna fell back to sleep, hopefully with the bad dreams staying at bay.

The next morning, I woke up and Luna wasn't in bed. She must have gotten up already. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and left the tent. All the moblins were just finishing up breakfast, but Luna was still nowhere to be found. I went down to the river to fill up a canteen and found her sitting on the bank, staring into the water. She looked so peaceful and I didn't want to disturb her, but I was parched.

"Good morning," I stuck the bottle in the river.

"Morning," she didn't budge.

"Sleep better?" I hoped.

"Yeah," Luna ran her fingers through the water, "Thank you. And again, I'm sorry for keeping you up."

"Don't worry about it," I sat with her, "I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

"I hardly know you, Fake Kokiri." There she was. I thought Luna was getting a bit too sentimental, "So, this is it, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Once we bring you to the refugee camp," Luna assumed, "That's when we part ways?"

"Oh," I was taken aback, "Yeah. I don't even know if they'll be happy to see me or even remember me. I lived in Kakariko when the Kokiri Village burned. I just want to know if…"

Saria. She's a very clever girl. And crafty, too. There's no way she didn't make it out. She had to. Luna put her hand to my shoulder, "That ocarina you played for me last night…You're looking for the girl that made it, aren't you?"

"I am," I nodded, "I want to give it back to her."

"Were you in love with her?"

Luna made me choke on my water, "No. It wasn't like that. We were only friends."

"Sure," she gave me a nudge, "This is a safe place, Link."

"I swear!" I squeaked, "Saria and I were just friends."

"Alright," Luna let it go, "When you get to the refugee camp, are you staying there?"

"I've left them once," I let out a heavy sigh, "I can't leave them again."

"And I can't say anything to change your mind?" she pleaded, "Nothing?"

"Doubtful," I shrugged.

"Well," Luna got up, "We should get going, shouldn't we? Wasting daylight."

I followed her lead and started heading back toward camp. On the way, I picked a few more herbs just in case we needed them or if any of the remaining Kokiri needed them. I couldn't wait to see the Kokiri again. The familiarity of home would be nice. Although, being in the Lost Woods without Saria was bittersweet. Luna rounded up all the moblins and got us on the path to the refugee camp. Please be there. As many of you as there can be, please…And please, Saria…Be ok.

As we got closer and closer to the nearest clearing, I got more and more excited. I could hardly stand it anymore. The family I hadn't seen in five years would finally be within my reach again. It'll be like nothing ever happened. Other than the ashy remains of the Kokiri Village. Maybe they came out here to rebuild. I wonder what it'll be like. Would it be an exact replica of the village or something completely different? With every step, my heart would race that much faster.

Then, the dirt path opened up and what I saw…I didn't want to believe. A black spot in the dead center surrounded by abandoned and dilapidated structures. Each one with their own fire pit left unattended. No Kokiri. Everything was gone. Everyone was gone. And this was all that remained. I think I'm going to be sick.

"Link?" Luna worried, "Are you…?"

"Did you know?" I growled, "Did you know they were gone?"

"No," she swore, "I'm sorry."

"Or did you send them to wipe it out?" I snapped, "Did you fake your nightmare to keep me distracted while they did it? And the convincing sob story. Was any of that real?"

"Hey!" Luna hushed me, "I didn't fake my nightmare. I didn't fake the story."

"I'm sure you didn't."

"You want proof?" she glared at me and pulled her hair out of her usual ponytail. She separated a layer of her hair and showed me the underside of it, "My roots are growing back. Real enough for you?"

Anger and hurt burned in her eyes. And overwhelming guilt clouded my heart, "I'm sorry…"

"I understand you just lost your home," Luna started to relax a little more and put her hair back up, "But you do not take that kind of tone with your Captain. Do we understand each other?"

"Since when are you my Captain?" I wondered, "I'm not one of your moblins, Luna."

" _Captain_ Luna," she corrected me, "Once you entered my woods and my ranks, I became your Captain."

"I'm not in your ranks," I walked off.

"Where do you think you're going?" Luna called after me.

"Back to Kakariko Village!" I yelled, "I still have a house there. It's all the home I have left. Please let me have that much."

Luna stood there, frozen in her boots, "At least let us give you an escort. It's been a while since we've been out of these woods. I could use a trip to Kakariko."

I shouldn't be left alone right now. Skeptical, yet hopeful, I gave her a single nod, "Ok."

"Link," she hardly spoke above a whisper, "I swear I didn't have anything to do with this. None of my moblins will move unless I tell them to."

"I know," I brought myself down. It's not every day home burns down. I felt awful about pointing fingers at Luna. How was she supposed to know the Kokiri were gone? All she was trying to do was help me. The least I could do is not kick her and the moblins out. Once we got back to Kakariko Village, it dawned on me.

My living room was full of monsters. The Gerudo Princess was in my guest room. What has happened to me?


	4. Rumors

Maybe it was the monsters in my house. Maybe it was the sight of the Kokiri camp in ruin that burned in my mind. Sleep eluded me. When I realized that staring at my ceiling wasn't going to help me fall asleep, I left my house in search of comforts that my bed failed to provide. Luckily, the Kakariko Tavern wasn't too far away. I could use a drink. I mean, leaving my house full of sleeping moblins and Ganondorf's former right-hand man? What could possibly go wrong?

The atmosphere of the Kakariko Tavern was always so warm and inviting. It wasn't very often any fights broke out. When they did, they never lasted long. Tonight was no different. Everyone was having a good time. Except for me, but who am I to ruin their fun? I took a spot at the end of the bar away from everyone else.

"Hey, Link," the bartender poured me a drink, "No offence, but you look awful, kid. Are you alright?"

"Not really," I stared blankly into my glass, "If it's alright, I'd like to enjoy my drink in peace."

"Sure," he obliged, "Let me know if you need another one. Or if you want to skip the ale and start with potions."

The bartender left me alone to wallow. I couldn't believe it was gone. My village had been wiped off the map five years ago and five years later, its people fall along with it. Truly a shame. The Kokiri, although eternally young, were a wise people. A great pity they had to leave the earth like this. Tonight, I won't drink to my sadness, but to the memory of a great people. To my fallen Kokiri brothers and sisters, may the goddesses guide you to peace in your next life.

As I took my drink, excited chatter of Hylian knights stationed in the village broke out behind me. Not necessarily excited, but worried, nervous. Few things in this world could have such big, strong Hylian knights so rattled like this. It got me curious. I finished the rest of my drink and listened in. I might not have to switch to potions tonight.

"There's no way," one of them gasped, "You must have misheard."

"No! I swear!" another squeaked, "It's true!"

"It's false!" another knight brushed him off, "You're seeing things. No one would be stupid enough to do something like that."

"But I saw moblins coming into town from the southeast! And where there's moblins, you know she's there, too!"

"You don't mean…"

"Someone in town is harboring the Gerudo Princess!"

My stomach dropped. Oops…

"No one would dare be stupid enough to let her in their house."

What about leave her alone in their house?

"You know she only brings destruction wherever she goes."

"A friend of mine met her once. He said he looked her in the eyes and he swore one of his kidneys turned to mush."

"We have to find her and finish her! Even if it means turning over every last house in Kakariko!"

"She can't have this village. Not after what she did to the last one!"

Last one…?

"How long has that been already?"

"Never mind that," another one of the knights came bursting in, "Have you seen Hyrule Castle lately?"

"No. What's with the castle?"

"There's some scary black clouds around the tower. They just rolled in an hour ago. Something's going on. And I bet it's because of the Gerudo princess!"

"You guys!" another knight rushed through the doors, nearly knocking them off the hinge, "The princess!"

"The Gerudo princess?"

"No! The Hylian princess! Princess Zelda's gone missing!"

I slammed the rest of my drink and started heading home. There's no way I could sit around in the tavern knowing she's gone. I might not have been able to save Saria, but I'm not letting Zelda get hurt, too. And if they're going to be looking for Luna, I don't want them trashing my house in their crusade. Not to mention, there's no telling what they'd do to me if they knew I had the Gerudo princess in my guest room or the half a dozen moblins she travels with.

"Luna…" I nudged her shoulder. Immediately, she jumped, reaching for her bow she kept next to her bed, "It's ok! It's me! It's just me!"

"You can't scare me like that, Link," Luna let out a heavy sigh of relief, "What? What do you want?"

"We have to go," I told her, "The Hylian Guard is looking for you. Someone heard you were in town and they're on a witch hunt for you. Who knows what they're going to do once they find you? If you value your life at all, gather the moblins and head to the cellar."

"Why the cellar?" she asked, throwing her bow around her shoulders.

"I'll be down in a minute," I assured, "Just trust me."

"Alright," Luna got out of bed and stood in the middle of my living room, letting out a high-pitched whistle, "Rise and shine, boys. It's time to go. We got knights on our backs. Kakariko was nice while it lasted, but it seems as if we've overstayed our welcome. Into the cellar! Let's move!"

I must admit. Luna had quite a handle on her moblins. If she told them to jump, I guarantee they'd ask how high. She had true leadership potential. But I couldn't think about that right now. If I was going to get her out of here safely, I needed to armor up. I had an old sword and a shield. My sword was a bit rusty, but I haven't used it in a while. The blade might not be the sharpest, but if worst comes to worst, it'll do. It'll only be temporary anyway. Until I get my true sword back.

After I was better equipped, I found Luna and the moblins in my cellar, waiting to get out of here. There was a spot in the wall that if I pushed on it just right, it opened up to a tunnel system that Zelda and I made. Well…We struck up a deal with a Goron that dug it for us. We used it all the time. I never thought it'd ever be used like this.

"Luna," I let the moblins get further ahead, "I need to speak with you."

"Me?" she wondered, "What is it, Link?"

"What have you done?" I worried, "Specifically. What have you done to Hyrule to make them hate you so much?"

"I knew this was coming," Luna let out a heavy sigh, "Link…What you need to understand was that…Back then, I was only following orders. That's how I kept myself alive. Ganondorf could take me out at any given second with zero remorse because that's the kind of sadistic creature he is. So, I'd be sent off to the furthest corners of Hyrule. I stirred up problems with the Gorons…The Zoras…The Kokiri…"

That last one put a sharp pain in my stomach. The words of the knight from the tavern came into my head. If I had to guess, Luna was probably my age. Five years ago would put her at fourteen. No. That couldn't have been her. Who would send a girl that young to do something so vile? So vicious? I know who. I just didn't want to admit it. No. It wasn't Luna.

"What did you do to the Kokiri?" I couldn't help myself.

"Don't worry about it," she avoided it altogether with shame in her eyes, "I'm not a good person, Link. I've been raised to be evil since the day Shira died. I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of for the sake of survival. I've torn apart friends, families, allies, caused destruction anywhere I've been. It's all I ever knew. I never knew much of my birth parents, but from what Shira's told me, I doubt they would've let that happen to me. If that's the case, they wouldn't have abandoned me in the middle of Hyrule Field."

"Hey," I tried to get close to her, but all she did was move away, "I didn't know much about my birth parents either. The Great Deku Tree that watched over the Kokiri told me some things about my mother. She brought me there to keep me safe, but unfortunately, she was killed by monsters. My father, too."

"Enough of the tragic talk," Luna switched subjects, "Where are we going? Where does this tunnel lead to?"

"West Castle Town," I told her, "We're leaving the moblins here. You and I are going to go up to the surface."

"What for?"

"I need to check on a rumor." Zelda's ok. She's a lot stronger than people give her credit for. She could live without her guard and save herself, if it came down to it. She's ok. She has to be. Then again, I said the same thing about Saria.

"Captain?" one of the moblins spoke, "Can he be trusted with you alone?"

"You don't need to trust him," Luna vouched for me, "Trust me. You know I can protect myself. We shouldn't be too long."

"Yes, sir," he stood down, "We'll be waiting."

"Well then," she chimed, "Shall we? I've always wanted to go to Castle Town."

"You've never been?"

"Nope," Luna shook her head, "Ganondorf always told me he'd take me one day, but he never did."

"He has a habit of making empty promises," I grumbled, "You do understand that he's not to be trusted, right?"

"Of course I do," she stared down at her feet, "Now…"

"Can I ask you something?" I continued on.

"Let me guess," Luna followed, "You're expecting an honest answer, too, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"What's that, Link?"

"What was it?" I kicked up some of the dampened dirt beneath my feet, "That one thing Ganondorf told you to do that you couldn't? What made you leave?"

"You want to know?" I nodded once, "He told me I had to kill someone. But you know that already."

"Who did he want you to kill?" I asked, "Someone important?"

"Someone very important."

I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat, "Was it Princess Zelda?"

"No," Luna shook her head, "But just as important, I guess. In the grand scheme of things."

"The King?" I assumed, "So he could assume the throne?"

"No," she went on, "He wanted me to kill whoever held the Triforce of Courage. Ganondorf called him the Hero of Time."

"Oh," I started to sweat, "He wanted you to kill the Hero of Time?"

"Why do you think I saved your life in the Lost Woods?" Luna asked, "I already told you that I'm not a good person, so I didn't do it out of the goodness of my heart. That doesn't exist."

Honestly, I hadn't given it much thought. I really did think it was out of the goodness of her heart. But I also thought it was because she wanted to kill me herself. Does she know who the Hero of Time really is? When people talked about Ganondorf's last attempt to overthrow the kingdom, they never mentioned the Hero of Time by name. But Ganondorf knew that hero's name. He knew exactly who the Hero of Time was…is. I'm sure I haven't died yet. But why would Luna save me in the Lost Woods?

"I'm not sure," I brushed it off, "Why did you?"

"Because," she stopped for a moment to rest against the wall of the tunnel, "If I wasn't going to kill you for Ganondorf, my moblins weren't going to either."

"You know…?"

"Of course I know," Luna scoffed, "It's not that difficult to tell. You might as well have told me yourself. You're Hylian, but you lived in the Kokiri Village. You weren't there when it burned because you were busy making sure Ganon didn't take the kingdom. You told me you were close with Princess Zelda. You even told me about this tunnel! It leads to Castle Town, right?"

"Right."

"I bet you and Zelda used this tunnel to sneak around and play together," she figured, "Because her father wanted her doing her royal duties to this kingdom and she wanted to be without her guards for a while."

I stared in complete awe of this girl, "How did you…?"

"I'm not stupid," she giggled a little, "Call it a good power of deduction."

"It's incredible," I wowed, "But do they…?"

"They have no idea," Luna promised, "I wouldn't do something so reckless. That would've made our traveling more of a headache than it's worth."

"We're going to have to continue this later," I cut her off, finding the exit, "We're here. And given who you are, you might want to put your hood up."

"Good idea," she obliged, throwing her hood over her head, "Lead the way, Hero."

I pushed up the loose section of sidewalk in the corner of West Castle Town right in front of the Castle Town Tavern. The taverns were hotbeds of information, as well as a nice place to sleep when one is traveling. I've enjoyed many a bed in the taverns across Hyrule in my travels. Any rumors that have come through Castle Town always come through here first. This would be the place to start.

Luna and I walked in and pulled up a spot at the bar. Of course, she was a bit skeptical, "You don't strike me as the type that likes his ale, Link. What are we doing here?"

"Watch," I called for the bartender, "Excuse me…"

"Aren't you both a little young to be in here?" she looked me over, "How old are you two?"

"Nineteen," Luna and I answered simultaneously. Huh. I guess I hit that one on the nose.

"Alright," the bartender let us go, "What can I get you?"

"Actually," I began, "I could use some information on a rumor."

"What's that, sweetheart?" she started pouring our drinks.

"What they're saying about the princess," I kept my fingers crossed, "Is it true?"

"There was a man on a black horse," the bartender told, "He rode through town and left through the east gate. It's a great tragedy. I'm sorry that I don't know any more."

"Thank you," I smiled, "You've been a very great help."

"No problem!"

"Ganondorf?" I asked Luna, keeping my voice down.

"Do you know anyone else with a black horse?" she retorted.

"No," I sighed out, "Why would Ganondorf want Zelda now?"

"I'm guessing it's for her piece," Luna assumed, "Just like why he'd want you dead."

"You know about the…?"

"Yes," she cut me off, "I know about the Triforce. Shira told me when I was young. Because sometimes…Out of nowhere…My hand…It…"

"Link!" a familiar face came between us, "Thank goodness I found you."

"Impa," I bowed a little, showing Zelda's attendant her well-deserved respect, "I heard."

"Do you know who took her?" she asked, just as worried as I was.

"Yes, I do."

A terrifying look appeared on Impa's face. She looked like she wanted to pin me against the wall, "You're not doing something stupid like going after Zelda, are you?"

"Of course," I jumped down from my barstool, "I can't sit around and wait for her to come back, Impa. You know I can't."

"Don't be so reckless!" she snapped, "You're hilariously underequipped and you're much weaker than what you once were. Ganondorf would tear you to shreds. You need to stay behind. I'm going to go after Zelda."

"Impa," I stopped her, "You know the kind of power I can control."

"And how long has it been since you last used that power?" Impa pointed out, "You need to stay here, Link. This is where you're safe. I'm going after Zelda at dusk. There's no doubt he's taking her back to his castle in the Gerudo Desert. If you go, you know he'll be expecting you. You're the last piece that he can't have. You'd be walking into a trap."

"No," I stood my ground, "I'd be saving Zelda and stopping Ganondorf."

"Don't be so naïve!" Impa scolded. But then, her eyes shifted to Luna, "Who are you?"

"No one," Luna didn't even make eye contact, but the same glow started to shine again.

Whatever it was, it made Impa settle down, "Look, Link. You can't go. Not in the state you're in now. Please. Staying here is all you can do for now. Don't let me catch you outside these castle walls."

And just like that, Impa left Luna and me at the bar with a fire in my belly. Like I told her, I couldn't sit and wait for Zelda to come home. As strong as what Impa is, she's not going to be enough to take down a Guardian of the Triforce. However, she did have a point. I haven't fought in battle in such a long time. So much for living a peaceful life…

"Hey, Link," Luna gave me a little nudge, "You're not going to stay in Castle Town like she said, are you?"

"Of course not," I started heading out of the tavern.

"Wait!" she ran after me, keeping herself hidden, "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere I haven't been in a very long time…"


	5. The Untold Legend of the Hero of Time

Behind Hyrule Castle, hidden away in the overgrowth stood a crumbling reminder of what once was. The first time I came here was such an experience. I could still feel the same chill lingering in the air as what there was that day. But those were times long passed. Luna and I pushed through the tall grass, searching for the entrance. If only my wooden sword could cut through all this, but even Luna's arrows weren't sharp enough for that.

"What a dump," Luna followed me in, "Where are we, Link?"

"This is the Temple of Time," I tried not to take offense to that. She didn't know. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, "A sanctuary for the lost and the broken. This is where someone goes when they need answers. Right now, we're not looking for answers."

"Why are we here?" she took a seat on one of the stairs near where the Spiritual Stones once laid.

"I'm looking for something else," I searched the room, "My sword. Last place I saw it was right here."

"I've heard about this place," Luna remembered, "Shira told me about it. But when she talked about the Temple of Time, I pictured something a little...I don't know. Shinier. More gold and marble. Less grass and weeds."

"It was a beautiful place at one time," I confirmed, "Things haven't been good in the kingdom for a long time."

"And I'm sure I'm the one to blame for that..."

"Under Ganondorf's control," I tried to make her feel better, "But as they got worse, the temple reflected that. How much do you know about the legends of the Hero of Time?"

"Other than the fact that he's you?" she wondered, "Not very much. Why? And what's so special about this one sword? Does it have your initials carved in the hilt or something?"

"No," I clarified, "It's the Blade of Evil's Bane. It's the only way we can stop Ganondorf. It's the strongest sword ever forged. How do you hear about the Hero of Time, but not the Master Sword?"

"Shira didn't tell me your life story," Luna defended, "Forgive my ignorance."

"If I remember correctly," I pressed a section of the wall and in the pedestal in the middle of the room was the most incredible blade I've ever had the honor of wielding. Hello, old friend. The handle still felt the same. I took the hilt into my hand and it felt just like the days of old. Slowly, I pulled the Master Sword out of the pedestal and raised it to the goddesses to receive their blessing.

Any time now.

Any minute now.

The goddesses can bless my sword.

"Wow, Link," Luna scoffed, "Is it supposed to do that? One would think the Blade of Evil's Bane would've had some sort of party tricks. A little more fanfare than that. If that's it, that was awfully anticlimactic."

"I don't understand," I looked the sword over, "Divine light was supposed to bathe the blade and give it its power. Light of the goddesses is supposed to shine down when the sword is drawn from its resting place."

"What did I tell you?" Impa's voice thundered throughout the temple, putting a pit in my stomach. Uh-oh, "Stay in Castle Town. I give you one simple order. Stay in Castle Town. Yet you came to the temple anyway. Whether you realize it or not, Link, you're a member of the Hyrule Royal Guard, obligated to come whenever summoned. And that means you answer to me. For such deliberate disobedience in high extremes, I have the authority to court martial you for that!"

"Impa..." I tried to reason with her, but she was long past irate. At this point, Impa wouldn't hesitate to kill me.

"It's not bad enough you were trying to steal the Master Sword," Impa's tirade continued, "But you brought an outsider. You! Girl! Who are you?"

"Impa, please..."

"Girl?" Luna's eyes turned red, "You really don't know who I am, do you?"

"Hence why I'm asking you," Impa snapped, "Who are you?

"Impa," I stopped her, completely avoiding that conversation. She's angry enough. Adding Luna's identity on top of that would only make a mess, "Why isn't my sword working? The divine light isn't even touching that."

"The Master Sword has been dormant for five years, Link," she pointed out, "It's still sleeping. Deep within the blade of that sword is a power unimaginable. That much is true. However, the last time you drew that blade, you only held it at half power."

"Oh?" I wondered, "What do you mean, half power?"

"There's an even older legend amongst the Sheikah tribe," Impa began, "You know the original legend of the Hero of Time."

"Yes," I nodded, "Of course."

"The legends you know," she sat down, "The legends everyone knows. There is one piece of it that was only spoken to the Sheikah tribe. We were the direct line to the goddesses. Hylia passed the Triforce to the goddesses Farore, Din, and Nayru. Farore knew that the Triforce of Courage would be the one that would bring the Triforces of Wisdom and Power together. That kind of power would be too much for one human to have, so she split it. When the time was right, the goddess Farore would bestow the power of the Triforce to a pair of twins born on the full moon."

"Impa..." I processed for a moment, "Are you saying I only have half of the Triforce of Courage?"

"Yes," Impa confirmed, "That's why the sword was only at half power. It runs on the energy of the Triforce. That's why the light of the goddesses comes down when it's drawn. But like I said, it's only half powered now. The goddesses won't even bother."

"Then, we'll have to rescue Zelda with my sword half powered," I got up, Master Sword in hand, "I can't sit in Castle Town, Impa. I can't sit here and worry. I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Hush, child," she demanded, "Your foolishness would be your demise. You're not even at full power anymore, Link. How are you supposed to save Zelda?"

"I could help," Luna stepped in, "If anything, we can pull at Ganondorf's heartstrings. What little of them he has. He does care about me."

"Who are you?" Impa got defensive again. No, Luna. You don't need to do this.

"My name is Luna," she stood her ground, "I'm what people around here call the Gerudo Princess."

Without further hesitation, Impa drew her lance from the holster on her back and braced herself for an attack, "Link, get away from her. It's bad enough I've lost Zelda for the time being. I don't need to lose you, too."

"Relax," Luna settled her, "That's not me anymore."

"How can I be so sure?" Impa kept her guard up.

"Impa," I vouched for her, "She's ok. She left Ganondorf because she refused to kill."

"That's never stopped her before," Impa snarled, "Do you know what's she's done, Link? Across the kingdom?"

"It wasn't her fault," I defended, "Everything that she's done before was because she was under his control."

"She could've said no," Impa wasn't letting up, "She could've walked away sooner. She could've stayed away from him in the first place. She's trouble, Link. Now, move."

"No," I stood my ground, "Impa, please. Don't. You don't know…"

"I know enough," she tried shoving me out of the way, but it wasn't happening, "You're standing on the wrong side."

"I'm not on any side," I clarified, "Luna saved my life. Not once, but twice. She had a small pack of moblins that were ready to tear me to shreds, but she stopped them. Ganondorf wanted me dead, but she refused to carry out his orders. So now, I spare her life. Hopefully, you will, too."

Impa didn't like it. I could see it all over her face. But she sheathed her lance, glaring a hole through Luna, "Just because you've earned Link's trust, Gerudo Princess, doesn't mean you've earned mine. And if you even betray him in the slightest…"

"Let me guess," Luna had a smug look on her face, "You'll kill me? A target on my back wouldn't exactly be a new thing for me. I'm nothing, if not crafty with how to save my skin."

"Impa," I redirected her attention to me, "How do I restore the power to the Master Sword?"

"You need to regain the Spiritual Stones from what's left of the Gorons, the Zoras, and the Kokiri," Impa instructed, "Hopefully, they'll also stand behind you when the time comes. Link, Ganondorf currently has two pieces of the Triforce. You're going to need all the help you can get. But good luck doing that with her on your tail."

"Give her a chance," I begged, "I'm sure she'll surprise you."

"I already did," she couldn't even look at us anymore. Impa started to walk out of the temple, "Shira would be so disappointed in you."

Instantly, Luna's eyes began to soften and swell with the thought of the woman who raised her. She meant the world to her and to hear something like that from Impa couldn't have been easy. Just as I stepped up to offer my defense, Impa kept walking and Luna stopped me in my tracks, "No, Link. She's right. The more I think about it, the more I remember Impa."

"Are you alright?" I wasn't going to force her to talk about it. It's always been a sensitive subject.

"No," Luna shook her head, her voice breaking, "But I'll be fine. Let's go find these stone thingies she was talking about."

"Luna," I followed her out of the temple and tried taking her hand, but she wouldn't let me even touch her.

"No," she jumped, hiding the tears streaming down her face, "I understand you're trying to make me feel better, but please don't touch me."

"What did Impa mean?" I couldn't help myself, "When did she give you a chance?"

"Because someone doesn't know how to respect boundaries," Luna pushed through the grass while I started cutting it down. I had a sword with a sharp edge again, "After Shira died, Impa came to the funeral. She offered to take me back to the castle to raise me in Shira's place, but I shot her down. She wouldn't even listen to my reasoning. She just left without a trace."

Before she could start crying again, I quickly changed the subject, "Come on. Let's get back to Castle Town. We need to get some rest and supplies. We can leave for Goron City at dusk."

"Ok."

Luna and I started back for Castle Town, the deafening silence between us. I didn't want to upset her any more. In all honesty, I don't think Impa was giving a fair enough chance. People can change. That doesn't necessarily mean they will, but I think Luna has. Which brings me to another thing bothering me. When Impa said there were two halves of the Triforce of Courage, does this mean I have a twin?


	6. The Death of the Gerudo Princess

**A/N: Dear James Birdsong from last week,**

 **Thank you. I've been up in the air on whether or not to just wipe this story from my profile altogether for the past few chapters and I'm glad I'm still going with it. Mostly because someone said something nice about it. I mean, I know I can't please everyone, but still. It's nice to know when I am pleasing someone. A little encouragement can go a long way. You're the real MVP and I reward you with a virtual hug redeemable any time you ever see me in person.**

 **All my love,**

 **Lumi**

 **And now, we go on, yeah?**

The Castle Town open air markets were always plentiful, but the shops were where all the good stuff was. And the shops were notoriously expensive. Unfortunately, I needed a few things I couldn't get from the stalls. No one could give me potions or bombs and if I'm going to go after Zelda, I'll need both. And lots of them.

There was one shop that wasn't too bad. According to the paper, this was Castle Town's best kept shopping secret. I'm not saying I already knew that, but I might have had a hand in it. Hidden away in the western thoroughfare was Hyrule's friendliest mini mart, full of everything an adventurer needed at reasonable prices. At least that's what it said on their flyers.

Now, if I'm going on another great and grand adventure across Hyrule, what am I low on? My glass bottles were empty, so a few red potions wouldn't be a bad idea. My bomb bag was quite spacious, so thirty should be good for now. If I need more, I'll be around Death Mountain. Bomb flowers grow wild all over the place there.

On the display in the corner hung a nice, sturdy set of red armor. It said it was made from dragon scales. Sounded like a good idea, but it thrives on a constant magic supply. My magic was extremely limited right now and all of it had to go into the Master Sword. Maybe when I have an ampler supply and eight hundred rupees to drop on it, but for now, I'll stick with my green tunic. It hasn't failed me yet.

While I'm here, I should make sure my quiver is full, too. I'm not too bad with my bow. I've shot monsters from a mile away easily! Maybe I should get some arrows for Luna, too. She doesn't use any other weapons from what I've seen…Experienced. And she won't hesitate to use it from a close range either. After I dropped a little over a hundred rupees in the shop, I looked around the thoroughfare.

Luna was nowhere to be found. I couldn't have been in the shop for longer than twenty minutes. Luna can't go missing in Castle Town. If someone finds out who she is, they'll burn her at the stake in the square. Where could she have gone off to? This isn't good. Would she have gone back to the tavern? When I went into the shop, I told her to stay right outside for the sake of her safety. But she just had to be a rebel. I walked up and down the thoroughfare, looking for a girl with a hood over her head and a bow on her back.

"Luna!" I called out, "Luna!"

"What?" Luna skipped down the stairs of a different shop on the corner where the west thoroughfare met the south thoroughfare.

"Where have you been?" I gasped, "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"You were taking long enough," she shrugged, "You're not the only one with things to do before we leave."

"I was getting everything we needed," I reached back into my quiver, "By the way, I got you a bundle of arrows."

"Thank you."

"What could you have needed that I couldn't get for you?" I asked, still a bit on edge.

"Since I've managed to upset most of the kingdom," Luna thought, "I don't even want to know what they'd do to me if I got recognized."

"That's why I told you to stay!" I growled, "If you're with me, chances are that people will be more trusting of you."

"And for the times you're not around?" she defended herself, "Look, Link, I can't always be stuck to your hip. I'd go crazy. I'm sorry, but that's not happening."

"Luna," I let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, "I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"And I appreciate that," Luna nodded, "But I've trained moblins to fight. I grew up making sure my body and spirit were one of a warrior. Don't worry about me. I can handle just about anything."

"So," I wondered, "What were you doing while I was in the shop?"

"Like I said," Luna dropped her hood, revealing a long, golden braid running down her back, "If we're going to be traveling the kingdom, I should probably be unrecognizable. Can't be the Gerudo princess if I don't look Gerudo, right?"

All of a sudden, my reoccurring dream flashed into my head. The woman and the baby at the Great Deku Tree. The burning village. And the blonde girl that always comes at the end just before I wake up at the center of everything. She looked just like Luna. Which only made me think. Just who are you, Luna? You're not just the Gerudo princess. Why am I seeing you in my dreams?

"Good idea," I approved, shaking off my apprehensions, "Is that your natural color?"

"For the most part," she confirmed, "A shade or two off. This was the closest the lady had to my natural color on hand. It'll do for the time being."

"I think it suits you," I complimented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Luna scoffed, "Are you suggesting something?"

"No!" I squeaked, "I was just…"

"I wouldn't be hitting on me if I were you," she teased, "That'd be weird."

"Why?"

Luna held her face in her hands, rolling her eyes, "Hero of Time and he's denser than pound cake. Come on, Hero. We should hit Goron City by daylight if we leave right now. Let's go get those spiritual stones Impa was talking about."

"Ok," I followed Luna through the town square and out through the eastern gate. If I knew where Epona had run off to, we could be making this trip in half the time. Although, we met a little bit of trouble at the Kakariko bridge. A group of bokoblins blocked our path. They growled and snarled at me, but then, they got to Luna.

"Do you mind?" she jerked away as they crowded her, sniffing at her. One of the bokoblins, the one that looks to be the spearhead of the charge, growled at Luna. Instead of taking out her bow, she put her hand gently on the bokoblin's face, speaking softly to him, "Zaza, it's me. It's Luna. Please let us through."

"You know him?" I gave her a look, worried about the kind of company she keeps.

"Moblins and bokoblins aren't that difficult to train if you get them young enough," Luna told me, "When I got Zaza in my ranks, he was fresh from a group of Hylian knights slaughtering his clan. You were just a little one then, Zaza."

The bokoblin snorted in disgust at me, "Did I do something?"

"Unless you've been in on those raids," Luna settled the angry bokoblin in front of her, "He's ok. He's not going to hurt you or any of the others. As long as you let us pass."

"Luna," I wondered, "Do you understand what it's saying?"

"What he's saying?" she corrected me, "Zaza's not an it. And yes. I understand moblins and bokoblins. How else do you figure I trained Ganondorf's armies?"

"And they understand you?"

"Yep," Luna gave Zaza a pat on the head, "And you're going to let us get to Kakariko, right, Zaza?"

Zaza broke his gaze with her, drawing a spear. His eyes filled with apology and sorrow. Like a reflex, I jumped in front of Luna, "I got this taken care of."

"Link, no!" Luna stopped me, "Don't! I can reason with him! With all of them!"

"They're not giving us a choice," I pointed out, "And clearly, you can't do anything about it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she drew her bow, "If my own bokoblins are going to turn on me, they know they're on the wrong side. They've made their choice. As much as this is going to pain me, it has to be done."

"Are you sure?" Going by how I saw Luna with her moblins back at my house and in the Lost Woods, she had a connection with all of them. She could pretend she didn't care about them all she wanted to, but I knew, deep down, she really didn't want to hurt them.

Then again, Luna was a trained killer. And one of her arrows went through Zaza's heart. I guess that was the go ahead to start taking out the rest of them. Because they weren't going to hold back on us. Only three of them, though. And with the power of the Master Sword, despite its current weakness, it wouldn't take many hits to get them down. After the fight, I could see Luna was exhausted. Yet, somehow, she still went on. I couldn't help but worry about her.

"Luna?" I approached her carefully, "Are you alright? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"I'm fine," she brushed me off, fighting tears in her eyes, "Let's just keep going. I can't be around here anymore."

"Alright," I wasn't going to force her. Something tells me she was still buzzed on the adrenaline enough to not care about killing me. Or on her own heartache. This truly was the end of her reign as the Gerudo princess. No turning back now. And the arrow through Zaza made it real.


	7. Into the Caverns

The sun rose over Death Mountain, backlighting the Eldin province in rich shades of gold and copper. Goron City shouldn't be too far off. At the base of the mountain where the temperatures become nearly unbearable, one shall find the race of rock people. Better known as the Gorons. The Goron hot springs were legendary for their healing properties. Hopefully, I'll be able to indulge before we leave. Once we arrived at the gates, everything stopped making sense. It was hotter than the midday sun here, but everything was in ruin. Last I had heard anything, the Gorons were fine. The entire city lay in rubble.

"Luna," I didn't even have to question it. The devastated look on her face gave everything away, "What did he have you do here?"

"I pit the Gorons against each other," Luna confessed, "They destroyed their city. I hardly lifted a finger. They caused the destruction and I went back to the desert. No remorse. No feeling anything. I shouldn't even be coming back here. I have no right."

"You have just as much right as anyone else," I assured her, "That's all in the past. Besides, the Gorons aren't going to realize it's you."

"I hope not…"

The deeper into the city we got, the worse the devastation was. Between the fires from the occasional flare of Death Mountain and the damage the Gorons caused, it was enough to break anyone's heart. Which made me wonder. Where are all the Gorons? Their city is completely destroyed. This is their home. Gorons are creatures of habit. Once they find somewhere, the likelihood of them leaving us nonexistent.

"Link," Luna stopped me, nodding toward the entry to the mine, "I hear voices down there."

"Ok," I led the way. The Gorons trusted me. They know me. If they see a familiar face, hopefully, it'll put them at ease."

"Halt!" Two giant Gorons blocked our path, "No humans are allowed in New Goron City!"

"Please," I begged, "We're here to help. Let me speak with your chief."

"No humans see the chief!"

"Link," Luna spoke softly, "Maybe we should just leave them alone. No sense in trying to help if they don't want us."

"We're here for a reason," I reminded her, "As it is now, the Master Sword is just a sword. We need it up and running for what we have planned."

"You know how stubborn Gorons are," she scoffed, "Unless they want to fight us."

"Are you wanting a fight, tiny human?" the Gorons took and offensive stance.

"Maybe I do," Luna shrugged, not taking their size into consideration in relation to hers, "If we beat you, can we see the chief?"

"If you fight us, you'll see an early grave!"

"Luna, no," I winced, "Don't pick a fight with angry Gorons."

"I'm sorry," she smirked, "But I'm up for a fight. Punching something may not solve our problems, but I know it'll make me feel better."

"Tiny human wants to fight," one of the Gorons approved, "Good to see one of you is man enough to step up."

"Man wishes," Luna drew her bow.

"Wait!" I tried to stop this, but two Gorons against one human would not turn out pretty. I held one of them back, "You can't do this!"

"Hold on," they looked down at my wrists, "Are those Goron bracelets?"

"Yes," I showed off the gold bands on my wrists. These were the only thing keeping them from tearing Luna apart, "They were given to me by your chief a long time ago when King Dodongo roamed the caverns."

"Link…?" another Goron joined us, calling off the others, "Did I hear that right?"

"Yes," I nodded, "Hello, Chief Darunia."

"Link!" he threw his arms up, "It's good to see you again, brother! I'm sorry it's not under better circumstances. Please excuse the mess. Come in!"

"Thank you," I followed him to the makeshift throne room.

"I heard about your princess, brother," Darunia empathized, "I know how close you two are. By the looks of it, you've already moved on, though, so I guess it's not all bad."

"No," I defended, "She's nothing like Zelda to me."

"Gee, thanks, Link," Luna grumbled, "You know how to make a girl feel loved."

"That's not what I meant," I dug myself in a hole.

"I'm just messing with you!" Darunia clarified, "I know no one can replace Princess Zelda. Who's the girl then?"

"This is Luna," I introduced her, keeping her previous title out of this, "She's traveling with me."

"Hello, Chief Darunia," Luna bowed, showing him the proper respect. I'm surprised she knew how to address a dignitary. That must have been Shira's doing. It took Zelda a week with me before I had it down. Although the experience wasn't exactly pleasant, the memory brought a great comfort to me, "It's an honor to meet you."

"No need for the formalities," he excused her, "But they are appreciated. It's been a while since anyone's shown me that kind of respect. I wish we could help you, Link, but we need to take care of us for a while. Our city's in ruin. Everyone hates each other. The Gorons have split into two factions. Either you know what happened on that day or you don't. But everyone has their own interpretation, I guess."

"What day?" I wondered, noticing Luna standing near the doorway, ready to make an escape. But instead of running, she stayed.

"We've been like this since we offered shelter to a human," Darunia spun the tale, "A little Gerudo girl. She was all battered and bruised and tired. We offered to let her into the hot spring, hoping that would've helped her. But by morning, she had left and…well. The rest is obvious. That's when it became brother against brother and we were no longer one. I can only assume you've come to help us."

"Actually, Darunia…" I couldn't leave them like this. It went against my alignment. The Gorons were in complete disarray. Their way of life was crumbling around them. Now wasn't exactly the time to discuss kingdom problems. One at a time, "I'd be happy to help. _We'd_ be happy to help. Right, Luna?"

Luna was off in her own world, unable to decide whether or not she should help. I could see it in her eyes. Like a rubber band snapping, she came back to her head, "What?"

"Helping the Gorons," I repeated, "We can do that, can't we?"

"Sure," she agreed, still a little out of it. Then, she turned on her heel and left the mine.

"Is she alright?" Darunia worried.

"I'm not sure," I got up, "Hold on."

"Be careful of any little Gerudos, brother!" he warned, "They're nothing but trouble. Temptresses! They'll clean you out and leave you hanging high and dry!"

I knew better. If Luna wanted me dead, she would've killed me in the Lost Woods or left me to her moblins. If she was going to rob me blind, she would've done it already. If she was going to come back and destroy the Gorons, they'd be wiped out by now. All I needed to do now was find her. I had to hand it to her. Luna was quite the escape artist.

After a quick search around the crater that used to be Goron City, I found Luna shaking on a rock away from everyone else. She could run off like none other, but Luna's hiding skill was her weak spot. I approached her slowly, "Luna?"

"I shouldn't be here," her voice broke, "I've caused them so much pain."

"Then, consider this your redemption," I sat with her, "You can right your own wrong right here and now. All it would take is for you to help rebuild Goron City."

"Do you know what I did, Link?" Luna still shook. I wish I could offer her a little more comfort, but she won't let me touch her, I drained the hot springs. The Gorons' main export is their spring water. Most of their fighting is over their last remaining spring."

"That wasn't because of you," I assured, "That's because Ganondorf told you to."

"Ganondorf told me to poison the springs," she went on, "But I told him it'd be much worse to keep one of their springs up and running and drain the others. That would've torn them apart. So, he let me. This isn't because of him. That was all me."

"Then, redeem yourself," I reiterated, "I'm not saying to own up to it. You can apologize without saying a single word, Luna. They'll never know you were the one to do it and they'll never see you in that light. Just make up for it."

"You make it sound so simple…"

"Or you're making it too complicated," I got up, "You're more than welcome to come help or you can stay here. The choice is yours, but we really could use all the hands we can get."

"Something tells me," Luna wiped her eyes, "I should help."

"That's called your conscience," I smiled, "Stay. Don't. It's up to you. The source of the springs is deep in Dodongo's Cavern. If I hit on it long enough, I'm sure the springs will come back."

I left Luna on her rock to brood some more and started heading for the cavern. All we need to do is get the water flowing. Then, the Gorons won't have a reason to fight anymore. After that, they can rebuild Goron City and everything will go back to the way it was. At least I hope it will. Once we're done, that's for them to decide.

"Link!" Luna ran after me, "You weren't going to do something stupid like go in there on your own, were you?"

"I did last time," I shrugged, "And I was pretty young then."

"How are you still alive?" she groaned, "Come on. If you're going to do this, you might as well have someone in your corner that actually has some experience with strategy. We don't know if there's anything down there."

"Maybe some red chus and some flame keese," I figured, "But that's to be expected."

"Not to mention, I'm still a fugitive," Luna reminded me, "I have no doubt in my mind that Ganondorf is looking for me. When the time comes, I'm sure I'll make a good bait. Especially if he knows I'm with you."

"Why's that?" I followed her into the cavern.

"Think about it," she put it into perspective, "Would you want your most trusted ally with your biggest enemy? And a guardian of the Triforce?"

"Half a guardian of the Triforce," I corrected her, "As far as what I understand. It makes me wonder where the other half is."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Luna brushed me off, "Come on! I think I feel a warm spot over here. Stay on your guard."

"Yes, ma'am!" I gave her a salute. It's been a lot of years since I've been in Dodongo's Cavern. This shouldn't be too difficult. Get in there. Hit the source. Get out. Easy job.


	8. Courage

Dodongo's Cavern. It hasn't changed much over the years. Still just as dark and crumbling as ever. I wish I had a lantern with me, but I left it at my house back in Kakariko. It's too far to go back and get it now. Even the Master Sword's feint glow wasn't enough to light our way. Both Luna and I were stumbling over big rocks, small rocks, and anything else that wanted to get in our way. To think we're supposed to find the source of the hot springs like this.

"Hey, Link," Luna stopped me, "Any particular reason why we're doing this in the dark?"

"I don't have any light sources," I kept moving, stubbing my toe on a rock.

"Well then…" her footsteps sounded like they were getting further away, "We should probably do something about that, shouldn't we?"

"Like what?" I wondered, genuinely curious. I didn't have any matches or chu jelly. We didn't even have any chus in this part of the cavern yet.

Then, out of nowhere, a flash went off and a flame flickered in the light post outside the entrance. Luna stood by with a giant grin of success on her face, "Just like that."

"How did you do that?" I gasped, still in awe of what had happened.

"What?" she teased, holding three silver balls between her fingers, "Do big, bad, scary, Hylian knights not get fun toys like these?"

"Are they magic?" I took one from her, studying it closely. These could come in handy.

"They're a little bit of magic," Luna explained, putting the others back in her bag, "They're called spark beads. If you throw them down on some rock, it'll ignite a flame. A little something, something I made in my downtime around Ganondorf's castle."

"You made these?" I pocketed the spark bead and grabbed some wood for a makeshift torch.

"Yep," she helped light the room, "We have to use these sparingly. Each bead is only good for one charge. If you don't have any flint or bomb flower seeds, I can't make any more."

"It's a good thing there's a lot of bomb flowers in this cavern," I pushed the round stone door out of the way, the lava serving as our light, "How do you they work? Your spark beads."

"To make a long story short," Luna followed me deeper into the cavern, "The bomb flower seed acts as a wick and the flint is the ignitor. When you strike the bead, it's outer coating is the flint, so the friction causes a reaction that makes the bomb flower seed go off. That's how we get the good, yet controlled flame."

"And how do you make them?" Let's see…Door…Door…Should be around here somewhere.

"It's really simple actually," she explained, "Take the flint, melt it down. Then, pour in half a magic potion with the flint and stir. This is going to give the bead its potency. Once the flint and the potion come to a rolling boil, dip your flower seed in. Wait for the first layer to harden and dip it again four or five times. There you have it."

"That's brilliant, Luna," I applauded, "I know Dodongo's Cavern has no shortage of bomb flowers and flint. Maybe you can show me yourself."

"One day," Luna promised, "For now, we have a job to do. How well do you know this cave system?"

"Pretty well," I admitted, swatting off some fire keese, "If I'm not mistaken, the spring source should be right up here."

"Lead the way."

"Be careful, though," I warned her, "The bridges in this place aren't exactly structurally sound. The Gorons can swim in the lava. We can't."

"Are you saying I should just ride on your back?" Luna joked.

"No," I giggled under my breath, "Just watch your step."

These bridges have only gotten worse since the last time I was in here. It wouldn't take more than a swipe of my sword to snap some of these ropes. Or most of these ropes. What were the Gorons thinking? The chances of humans being in here was next to nothing. Until King Dodongo got a little out of control and a human more than half their size had to take care of it. One would think they'd reinforce these better. Oh well.

Even though my knowledge of these caverns was only matched by the Gorons who lived here, I had a map somewhere in this front room. It'd be nice to have it on hand. Luna and I tiptoed over the bridges, holding onto the ropes for dear life, praying to the goddesses that the bridge doesn't give out. Once crossed, we'd be perfectly safe. Everything else was built on stone. We're ok. We can do this. Now, water source…

"Link," Luna dredged behind me, "I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, but when are we going to get there? It's excruciatingly hot in here and my feet are killing me. We've been walking around in this cavern for an hour and a half at the very least. You'd think we would've found it twice over by now."

"Here," I opened my bag and gave her a green potion, "This should help."

"Thanks," she took the bottle from me, downing it in one drink, "That was needed. You wouldn't happen to have any more of them, would you?"

"We need to ration them out," I shot her down, taking my empty bottle back, "We'll be alright. It's not too far from here."

"That's what you said twenty minutes ago."

"Really," I found a crack in the wall and put a bomb down. After the explosion, a few rupees and the door to the water source, "It's right this way!"

"Fantastic!" Luna followed close behind, "Where are we headed?"

"Right over here," I pushed the door open and held it for her, "After you."

"What a gentleman," she awed, "I'm surprised your princess hasn't snapped you up yet."

"It's not like I haven't tried," I admitted, "Maybe one day. But for now, let's take care of the Gorons, yeah?"

"That is what we're here for," Luna skipped through the doorway and I trailed behind. There it was. The pulse of the Goron hot springs. A bright, glowing ball shined in the middle of the room. I'm sure that a swing or two with the Master Sword and the hot springs will be brought back to life.

SLAM!

Both Luna and I jumped, startled by the door barricading us inside, "What was that?"

"I have no idea," she shook just as bad as I did, "Does this kind of thing happen often?"

"More than what you'd think," I nodded.

"Honestly, child," a voice echoed around the room, "Did you really think it'd be that easy?"

"Who are you?" I called out.

"They call me Cryoheim," he introduced himself, appearing out of thin air. He looked almost human, but at the same time, he appeared to be Gerudo. That's impossible, though. Ganondorf was the last Gerudo male born and that only happens once every one hundred years. Maybe he's not full blooded Gerudo, "My, my…I didn't know I'd be in the presence of royalty."

"What royalty?" I argued, "We're not of royal blood."

"Are you sure about that?" Cryoheim set his sights on Luna, "Does he not know who you are, your highness?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Luna cringed at his proximity.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," he traced his finger along her cheek, "I was only sent to kill the boy, but I'm sure Ganondorf would love it if I brought his little princess home to him. He misses you."

"I've never met Ganondorf a day in my life," she played ignorant.

"This is getting to be tedious," Cryoheim rolled his eyes, "I'm not letting you bring the hot springs back, Luna. Not after what you did. This beautiful chaos for the sake of chaos has done wonders."

"That's it," Luna put her foot down, drawing her bow, "We're done here, Cryoheim. Do you want to settle this the easy way or the hard way?"

"Aww," he sang, "Look at you, trying to be tough. You're so cute. It's all an act, my dear. I know better. You're terrified of what he's going to do to you for running away. I can't kill you. That'd be putting a target on my back and quite frankly, you're not worth it. Him, though? You seem to have an attachment to him. And…well…He is why I'm here."

"You're not hurting him."

"And you're not taking her," I came in, unsheathing my sword, "Not without a fight."

"You hero types," Cryoheim took out a giant flaming sword of his own, "You really want to take me on?"

"Absolutely." Far be it for me to back down to a fight.

"Alright then," he shrugged, "I didn't want to make a mess, but you leave me no choice."

Cryoheim took his first swing at Luna and made a big mistake. He can't possibly hold off the both of us at the same time. With one big swing, Cryoheim spun like a top, his flames spreading with it. The blast was enough to send us both flying. Luna tried shooting at him with her bow, but he caught her arrow and snapped it in half.

"Honestly, Luna," he taunted, "You should know better. That's not going to work on me."

"Link!" Luna yelled, "On his neck or behind his knee! Your choice!"

Just as I went up to plunge my sword into his skin, Cryoheim's arm flew back and plowed me into the ground. His foot pinned me there, "You should know better, boy. You think you're going to get your princess back, but because you're not. And it's all because you aligned with the wrong side. Such a shame I have to clean up her messes."

I started to get dizzy and slip in and out of consciousness. I was just coherent enough to see Luna shove Cryoheim off me, "Link…Stay with me."

"Sentiment…" Cryoheim hummed, "How sweet. I didn't think someone so ruthless as the Gerudo princess would have a heart. Your reputation doesn't proceed you. Come along, Luna. I'd rather be celebrated than burned at the stake. Be a good girl and come with me."

"Link," she ignored him, patting my face, doing everything to keep me awake. Unfortunately, that wasn't doing much. I was so tired, "Link, don't you die on me."

"You have to do it, Luna," I begged, "Save her…"

"Stay alive and do it yourself," Luna ordered as a feint glow radiated around her, "Do you remember how I told you not touch me?"

"I thought…" my breathing got harder, "It was because…You didn't…Like me."

"I'll explain later," she promised, "But give me your left hand."

"Ok," I wasn't going to put too much stock into it. With what little strength I had left, I gave Luna my hand. At least she'd be here on my death bed. All of a sudden, I felt an energy pulse through my body. Not only did I feel completely better, but I felt stronger! And the light around Luna shined even brighter than before. Even the Master Sword let off more of a glow than before. Without any further hesitation, I drove the blade into Cryoheim's neck.

Luna let my hand go and drove her fist into his face, "How's that for being a good girl?"

"You think," Cryoheim choked out, "I'm going to be the only one? He's got us…scattered all over…Hyrule. There's…Nowhere for you…To run…"

"I'll be running straight for his castle soon enough," she growled with such a fire in her eyes, "And I hope he heard me."

Luna drew back her bow and hit the glowing ball in the middle of the room while Cryoheim drew his last breath. A rumble shook the ground above us and we had seconds to get out of here unless we wanted to be steamed alive. Fortunately, I knew a shortcut that would lead us right back to the Goron City ruins. But Luna was long gone before I was. She must have gone right through the caverns and back out the front. I'm sure we'll meet up again. After this attack, she isn't going to run off.

To no surprise, when I got out of the cavern, I found her sitting on the same rock she was on when she told me what she had done to the Gorons. This must be Luna's regular spot. At this point, it's nearly becoming a regular thing. I sat with her, not saying a word. We could both stand the rest. After all, we did just breathe new life into the Goron City. Hopefully, they'll be able to rebuild now that the hot springs are going to come back in a day or so. Things seem all wrapped up here, but one thing still burned on my mind.

"Luna…" I kept my voice down, so I didn't startle her, "You said you would explain later."

"Not now, Link," she sighed out, staring off into the ruins, "I'm not in the mood."

"But I have to know," I begged, "How did you do that?"

"I didn't do that," Luna clarified, "We did that."

"We?"

"When's your birthday, Link?" she asked bluntly, strangely taking me by surprise.

"July 26th," I gave her a look, "Why?"

"And on that day," Luna went on, "Was it a full moon that night?"

"I think so," I thought back to what the Great Deku Tree told me when I was younger, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"My parents named me Luna because I was born on a full moon," she elaborated, "I was born on July 26th, too. And there's one other thing I didn't tell you."

Luna put her right hand up to my left, making that glow happen again. It made me see spots for a second, but then, everything became clearer, "Luna…I think I've been seeing you in my dreams."

"Do you know why that is?" I shook my head, "Remember when Impa told us that the Triforce of Courage was split between a pair of twins born on the full moon?"

"Yes."

"Link," Luna smiled, "I think we need to talk…"


	9. Rebuild

"Sit down, Link," Luna insisted, making room on her rock for me, "We need to talk."

I sat down in a complete daze, still not sure what was going on, "Luna, who are you?"

"I'm your sister, Link," she smiled a little, "The twins born under the full moon with the Triforce of Courage split between them. Just like Impa's story. Only she didn't know quite how my side of the story went."

"Then, tell me," I begged, "Tell me what Impa doesn't know."

"It's a long story…" Luna stared into the night sky, completely lost in the stars. For the first time since the day we met, I finally saw her at peace.

"Alright," she sighed out, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Don't be so dramatic," I teased, listening intently, "From the beginning. Miss no details."

"We'll start at the beginning," she spun the tale, "I didn't exactly have the arrival at the Great Deku Tree like you did. Dad was already gone. Mom was taking you to the Great Deku Tree. Then, there was little Luna, left to fend for herself. That was until Shira found me. She said that destiny brought us together. Her vision told her to find the little girl in the field. According to her, I woke up and instantly recognized her as my new mom. As far as anyone was concerned around our village, she was. When I got older, I started asking questions about my birth parents and where I came from. I can still hear her voice in my head…

Luna froze for a minute as a lone tear dropped to the stone. She always got upset when we talked about Shira. I couldn't blame her. Shira was the mother she never had. I'm sure she saw Shira the same way I saw Saria. I don't know what I would've done without her at times while I was growing up. I gave Luna a little nudge, "Luna? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she came to again, wiping her eyes.

"Go on," I pushed her along, "What did she say about our parents?"

"They came from a village that started Hyrule as we know it," Luna went on, "They didn't realize I had half of your power. When I was ten, my hand would start glowing out of nowhere. It wasn't until later when Shira explained how powerful I was that I learned I could use it as a way to find Ganondorf. My half resonated with his piece. It shined a little brighter when we met in the Lost Woods, though. I knew exactly who you were when we met."

"You did?" I wondered, thinking back to our meeting in the Lost Woods. She was ready to pierce my throat with her arrow.

"I did," she nodded, "That's the real reason why I called my moblins off. If I wasn't killing my brother, neither would they. I wasn't watching the only family I had left die at my feet."

"And you drawing your bow was…?"

"Instinctive reflex," Luna shrugged, "I knew you were my brother, but I needed to get a gauge on where your power was. Or if you would've fought me. But you didn't. You spared me just like I spared you. Destiny's a funny thing, isn't it?"

"It is," I smiled a bit, "But then, why did Ganondorf want you to kill me? If he wanted me dead so bad, why didn't he find me and kill me himself?"

"I have to be the one to do it," she explained, "If I spill your blood, your half of the Triforce goes to me. When Ganondorf gave me the order, I was still on his side. If he's got Princess Zelda, he has both the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom. If I kill you and switch back to his team, he'll have all the pieces and destroy Hyrule. I always thought that I was abandoned in that field…"

"Luna?" I worried as she spaced out again, "Luna, stay with me. What is it?"

"I…" Luna repeated herself, "I always thought I was abandoned in the field. It wasn't until just now that I realized that's not the case. I wasn't abandoned. We were separated, but for a good reason. If we're separate, Ganondorf can't have the full power of the Triforce. He can't have us together, Link. If we go to rescue the princess, we'll be walking into a trap. It's a double-edged sword."

"He's not going to have us together," I promised, draping my arm over her shoulders. I half expected her to flinch, but instead, Luna rested her heavy head in my chest, "We'll stop him together."

"You seem awfully confident."

"You've heard the stories," I grinned, "I know we can do it."

"We need those stones first," Luna reminded me, "If I were the Goron Ruby, where would I be? And how difficult would it be to get my hands on it?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's all part of the plan," she figured, "I go in, swipe the Goron Ruby, and we head out again to find the other two."

"No, no," I stopped her, "We're not stealing the Goron Ruby. I can talk to Darunia. I'm sure if we help put Goron City back together, he'll be more than happy to part with it for the sake of our crusade. He's done it once. I'm sure he'll do it again."

"So, no stealing from the Gorons?"

"No," I rolled my eyes. Honestly…I jumped down from the rock and offered my hand, "Come on. The job's not done quite yet."

"Is it going to be like this everywhere we go?" Luna whined, accepting my assistance.

"It doesn't hurt to have allies," I assured, "They can come in handy. Trust me."

"I get that much," she followed me back toward the city, "I still have a small army of moblins hiding out in Kakariko. But I don't know how to feel about the heavy lifting."

"Think of it this way," I put things into perspective, "You were sort of the reason why the city fell to ruin in the first place."

"Rub it in, Link."

"Ganondorf is the reason it fell to ruin, acting through you," I rephrased, "The least you can do is help them regain what was once lost."

"You're using my guilty conscience against me," she glared, "Not cool."

"Alright." This girl was stubborn, "Darunia might feel more obligated to do something for us if we do something for him."

"We brought back the hot springs. Isn't that enough?"

"No."

"Fine!" Luna caved, "Let's go rebuild the city."

It still blew my mind that Luna was my sister. That's why I kept seeing her in my dreams. Maybe I have visions like Shira did. Or could it just be because we're connected? Regardless, the two of us started heading back to Goron City. Outside the gates, most of the remaining Gorons danced around in celebration, singing songs of their people and basking in the glory of their homelands.

"Link!" Darunia charged me, "The most wonderful thing happened, brother!"

"What is it?" I wondered, hoping my spine doesn't snap.

"The hot springs!" he squealed, "The hot springs are filling up again!"

"Chief Darunia," Luna's eyes filled with remorse, "Could I speak with you please?"

"Of course, child," Darunia lifted her chin, "But why the long face? It's a time for celebration! Hopefully, we'll be able to patch things up with the others."

"Others?" I perked up.

"We were divided, brother," he reminded me, "There are some toward the top of Death Mountain led by my younger brother Darius. There's no way he'd talk to me, though. He hates me. I miss him."

"You know," I suggested, shooting a glance at Luna, "Maybe we could go talk to him."

"Not you," Darunia shot me down, "But maybe your lady friend here. Darius has always been a sucker for cute Hylian girls in short skirts."

"My skirt isn't getting any shorter," Luna put her foot down, "I can talk to him, but I'm not lowering myself like that."

"I never said you were cute," Darunia pointed out, looking me over, "But my little brother has always been easily fooled. And you have a very angelic face, Link. And some sparkly eyes."

"Uh…" my skin started to crawl, "Where are you going with this Darunia?"

"I like where he's going with this," Luna got a dirty grin on her face, "And he makes a fairly good point. You do have a pretty face, Link."

"I think I'll just go talk to him," I cringed, leaving before things got weird.

"Where do you think you're going?" she grabbed the back of my tunic.

"To the top of Death Mountain."

"Not by yourself, you're not," Luna decided, "Besides, Chief Darunia said that Darius was a sucker for a pretty Hylian girl. Unless you're going to be that pretty Hylian girl, I have to go with you."

I guess I had no choice. Luna and I started heading up the mountain and for an open cavern where assorted whispers echoed. It was too warm in here. Neither of us will last very long. We needed to make this quick before we overheat. I just hope that Luna was cute enough for Darunia's younger brother.

"Who are you?" a giant Goron stood at the entrance. But in the next breath, he recognized me, "Hey! Little brother! You're the one that took care of Dodongo's Cavern all those years ago, aren't you?"

"That's me," I nodded, "Can I speak to your chief please?"

The giant Goron glanced me over, "Nope. Chief Darius wouldn't want anything to do with you."

"So we've heard," Luna pulled her skirt up a little more, "Excuse me. I want this to be done and over with as soon as humanly possible."

"Go ahead," he allowed, "You stay here, little brother."

"Luna," I tried to stop her, but she wasn't having it.

"Don't worry about it," she brushed me off, "I'm sure after a long soak in the spring later, I'll be fine."

"The spring?" a smaller Goron came out, "The spring dried up ages ago."

"It did," Luna nodded, "But the water started flowing again. Do you think your chief could make up with Darunia now?"

"My brother Darunia?" he scoffed, "No way. He's the one that made it go dry in the first place!"

"No, he isn't!" she snapped. No, Luna…You don't have to do that, "There was a little Gerudo girl that came through here a few years ago, right?"

"Right," Darius' eyes started to twinkle, "And what might your name be, you beautiful creature?"

"Luna," she brought him back, "But that little Gerudo girl is the one who drained your hot springs. Anywhere the Gerudo princess touched began to die. That's what happened. Now, go make up with your brother."

"So authoritative," he swooned, "I like you. Would you like to take a walk around the city with me?"

"As long as you go make up with Darunia," Luna stipulated, "Instead of a walk around the city, how about a dance instead? Rumor has it, there's going to be a party at the base of the mountain, celebrating the return of the hot springs. And I know for a fact that Gorons like to dance."

"I really like you!" Darius beamed, "I'll see you then! For now, I need to see my brother."

"I'll tell the others, Chief," the giant Goron bowed.

"Thank you," he rolled out of the cavern and down the mountain.

"Well," Luna chirped, "That was simple. Shall we?"

"You accepted a dance from a Goron chief?" I teased.

"Shut up, Link," she gave me a little shove, "I'm looking forward to it like a nail in my foot, but it's one dance and it got us what we wanted."

"Fine," I let it go.

Once we got back to the base of the mountain, Darunia and Darius had patched things up already. Gorons are fast. That was good to see, though. The Gorons could finally be reunited. They weren't the only ones on this mountain. I had a sister. A twin. And I think it was safe to say that we'd do just about anything for each other. Even if it meant flirting with a Goron.

"Thank you, Brother Link," Darunia bowed to us, "And you as well, Luna."

"Darunia," she stepped forward, "I'm so sorry. For everything that's happened to you and your people."

"No need for your apologies, my dear," he assured, "Now is time to celebrate. However, we can't let you two go off empty handed, can we?"

"Here it is, Chief," one of the Gorons came with a case in hand.

"Thank you, brother," Darunia sent him off and gave the case to us, "Please. Accept this as a gift from our people."

"The Goron Ruby," Luna gasped, "I've never seen it up close before."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I smiled, "It's been so long since I've held it in my hands."

"And let us offer you lodgings for the night," Darius insisted, "It's the least we can do. Besides, you owe me a dance, Luna."

"I didn't think she'd be your type, Darius," Darunia assumed, "I'm a little surprised."

"She's perfect," Darius grinned.

"Thank you," I bowed, putting the ruby in my bag, "We'd be happy to take a rest here."

For the rest of the night, it was nothing but pomp and circumstance. Poor Luna, though. Just because the Gorons like to dance doesn't mean some of them should. Darius especially. By the time we got back to our beds for the night, her feet could hardly fit in her boots anymore. The two of us crawled into bed and I started falling asleep. It's been a long day and tomorrow's going to be just as bad, I'm sure.

"Hey, Link," Luna whispered, "Are you still awake?"

"Yeah," I sat up, "Are you alright?"

"I don't know," she thought, "There's this weird feeling in me. Is this what it's like to be the hero for a change?"

"Get used to it," I smiled, "Because it's only going to get worse."

"I think I like it…"

"Good," I rolled over, "Get some sleep, ok? We're going to head out early tomorrow morning."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Luna followed suit, "Good night, Link."

"Good night."


	10. Seeking Audience with the Queen

I forgot how much Gorons loved to party. And how loud they could get. And how, in their excitement, they forget that they can cause unintentional rockslides. Especially when some people are trying to sleep. I know Luna and I had all intentions of leaving in the morning bright and early, but I also hoped that I could wake up well-rested. In their defense, the Gorons had quite a bit to celebrate last night. Still, a little decent sleep would've been nice.

"Morning, Link," Luna came back into our room with some water in her hand and out of breath.

"Morning," I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, "Where were you?"

"I went for a run around the canyon," she sat at the edge of her bed, "It's not like I was getting any sleep, so might as well make good use of my time, right?"

"Where did you get all that energy?" I wondered, barely having any to get myself out of bed.

"I don't know," Luna stretched out, "But this isn't the first time I've done this. A morning run was a regular occurrence when I still lived at the castle. In fact, it was his idea. At first, I loathed the idea because that meant getting up early."

"You are my sister," I giggled a little.

"But," she went on, "Over the years, once I started getting used to being up early, I actually liked it. You should give it a try someday."

"I'll take my sleep when I can get it," I declined, grabbing my bag.

"To each their own, I guess."

"Are you ready to go then?" I asked, "We don't have much time left. We need to get those stones."

"Whenever you are."

We needed to sneak out of here as stealthily as humanly possible. The last time I left Goron City, Darunia was a mess. Rumor has it, he didn't come out of his chambers for three days after that. One of the other Gorons had to hum him the little tune I played for him on my ocarina just to get him to snap out of it. I'd hate to have a repeat of that.

"Link!" But to no avail. And we were just outside the gate, too.

"Darunia," I let him down gently, "We have to go. There's a kingdom in peril and a princess in a different castle."

"I understand," he nodded, "I'm only here to send you off, brother. And sister."

"Thank you, Darunia," Luna bowed, "And again, I'm sorry about what happened."

"I told you once, dear," Darunia assured, "Your apologies are unnecessary. It's not your fault that we fell to ruin."

"Wait," she thought, "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, I do," he confirmed, "You're the girl that helped save my people and the object of my brother's affection."

"That's right," Luna blushed, "I forgot about Darius. Could you do me a favor and tell him we weren't going to ever happen?"

"I can still hope, can't I?" Darius joined us, "I wasn't going to let my girl leave without a proper sendoff."

"Not your girl," she bit her tongue, "But I'm flattered."

"Where are you off to now, brother?" Darunia wondered.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Luna? Where should we go?"

"I'm thinking we should head for Zora's Doman," Luna figured, "That'd be the easiest stone to get right now. Who knows where the Kokiri Emerald is?"

"Right," I agreed, "Well, Darunia, thank you. I appreciate your hospitality."

"We can always count on you to save us, Link," Darunia threw his arms around me whether I wanted him to or not, "Good luck in Zora's Domain."

I was going to need all the luck I could get. Luna and I left the Gorons and headed north. Of course, Darunia's little jab before we left could go unnoticed. My history in Zora's Domain isn't exactly pretty. Nor is it one I like to talk about much. Mostly because of one very spoiled Zora in particular. She was sweet, but…she still made me nervous.

"Hey, Link," Luna wondered, "What's the matter? You look like you're about to come out of your skin."

"It's nothing," I lied, getting a bit jumpy, "It's just that it's usually pretty cold in Zora's Domain. Maybe we should stop at a shop and get something warmer than my tunic."

"Really?" she gave me a look, "You expect me to believe that you're nervous over the weather?"

"Fine," I rolled my eyes, "The current Zora queen. She has me a little nervous."

"What's so bad about her?" Luna gave me a little shove, "You've dealt with royalty before. Is she unnaturally cute or something?"

"It's nothing like that!" I got even more defensive, "I know I've dealt with royalty. I'm an unofficial member of the Hyrule Royal Guard. But the Zora queen and I go back."

"Romantic history?" she assumed.

"No," I shook my head violently, "You'll see. Hopefully, we won't see her directly."

"Who else would we see?"

"I don't know," I cringed. Today was not the day for me to show up to Zora's Domain with Luna. Especially if she's there.

Instead of the usual chill in the air, the entry to Zora's Domain was oddly tropical. I never expected to sweat so much. Zora's Domain was never hot before, was it? The sun had already started to set and yet, it was sweltering. Times like these made me want to jump in the water, but when I ran my hand through it, my hand came right back out.

"OW!"

"You ok?" Luna worried, nursing my bright red hand. I'm so glad hers were cold.

"This isn't right," I thought, "Zoras can't live in warm water, let alone hot water like this."

The further we went in, the more Zoras were scattered around the banks. And they all looked so tired and so drained. I knew what caused this…or more likely who. This was horrific. I've never seen the Zoras so down and out before. The Gorons couldn't make their hot springs work, but all they needed to do was come to Zora's Domain. Now…The throne room…

"Link!" a shrill voice broke the deafening silence. Given the circumstances, I could understand why she was so happy to see me, but I just hope she doesn't notice present company, "My hero!"

"Hi," I caught her in my arms, not having much of a choice.

"I missed…!" her eyes went over my shoulder at Luna and immediately turned red, "Who's she?"

"She's…"

SLAP!

"LINK, YOU TWO TIMER!"

"No!" I defended, "It's not like that at all!"

"I'm not going to listen to your excuses!" she went back to her chambers.

"I don't have any excuses," I tried stopping her, "Ruto, please. Listen to me."

"No!"

SLAM!

"Now, I get it," Luna nodded, "She's nuts."

"Oh, yes," I confirmed, "She's kind of in love with me, but she said she understood, but she also lied through her teeth. Like I said, though. She's really sweet when she wants to be. It's just that Ruto can be a little territorial."

"Sounds exhausting."

"It is."

"Excuse me," a younger Zora boy tapped on my shoulder, "Are you Link?"

"Yes," I turned to him, "What is it?"

"My name is Prince Raol," he introduced himself, "My mother has told me stories about you."

"Your mother?" I thought, "Ruto?"

"Yes."

"And she said I was the two timer," I joked, "What's on your mind, your highness?"

"Can you help us?" Raol cut right to the chase, "Please. My people are suffering."

"There's suffering all across Hyrule," I got down to his level, "But that's why Hyrule has me, right?"

"That's right," he smiled, "I'm glad to hear the stories are true."

"What happened?" I asked, catching a guilty look spread across Luna's face.

"A Gerudo girl came through here a few years ago," Raol began, "She was beautiful. The face of an angel, some say. I never got to see her, though. She went for a swim in our waters and once she left, that's when the water started getting hot. I don't understand how it happened and no one can find the source of the heat. You can help us, can't you, Link?"

"Of course," I promised, "We both will."

"I don't think my mother ever mentioned another girl," he wondered, "Who are you?"

"My name is Luna," she got down to greet him, "Link is my brother. I have no romantic interest in him whatsoever. Do you think your mother would understand?"

"I can try to talk her down," Raol hoped, "Until then, speak with one of the guards. They'll take you to the armory and get you both fitted for Zora armor."

"Thank you, Prince Raol," I shook his small, webbed hand, "Good luck."

"And to you, too."


	11. A Mother's Burning Love

"So," Luna and I wandered through Zora's Domain on our way to the armory. Even though it felt like the core of Death Mountain up here, I forgot how scenic it was. And its beauty will be fully restored once the Zoras can swim in its waters again, "What's the deal with you and the Zora queen? She hates you. I thought people had you on a pedestal around here."

"It's a long story," I winced at the memory of Ruto and me the last time I saw her. It did not end well.

"I got time," Luna insisted, "Come on, Link. You can tell me. If all else fails, you know my biggest secret. Tell the Zoras, the Gorons, the whole kingdom. Throw me back to Ganondorf. Your secrets are safe with me. Even the ones concerning royalty."

"First of all," I promised, "I would never ever throw you at Ganondorf's feet. We're all the blood family we have left."

"Thank you, Link," Luna awed, "it really means a lot that you say that."

"I'm surprised it needed to be said," I gave her a little smile. Even if it didn't last long, "Although, what I did to Ruto wasn't exactly the pinnacle of my proudest moments."

"My, my," Luna smirked, "Hiding a little bit of a dark side, are we? You are my brother. What did you do?"

"When I saw Ruto," I began, "She was still just a princess then. A very spoiled princess."

"Never met one that wasn't," she shrugged, "Myself included."

"I needed the Zora Sapphire," I went on, "So, I took care of a little problem she was having in hopes she'd give it to me."

"And did she?"

"She did," I nodded, "But this is where my alleged dark side comes in. What makes it so bad."

"Link," she took my right hand with her left in attempts to comfort me. No one needed to see a piece of the Triforce come together. Although, we both started glowing, "You make it sound like you killed a man."

"I'm sure she'd rather that," I continued, "Ruto explained to me what her mother told her. When Ruto comes into contact with someone meant to have the Zora Sapphire, that will be the one she'll want to spend the rest of her life with. She didn't give me the stone because I helped her out."

"Oh," Luna started piecing things together, "So, you were engaged to the Zora queen? Look at you. Royalty can't keep their hands off you, can they?"

"It's not that," I rolled my eyes, "Ruto understood that I had to run off and save the kingdom, but she asked me if I'd ever come back for her. I told her yes, but I can't become Zora royalty."

"Because your heart belongs to someone else," she figured, "It's Zelda, right? That's why you're going through all of this. For her."

"I've nearly died for her more than once," I admitted, "The goddesses wouldn't allow such a thing, but I'd be more than happy to lay my life down for her."

"You really do love her, don't you?"

"Absolutely."

"So, let me get this straight," Luna thought, "You broke the Zora queen's heart and that's your big, evil deed?"

"Well," I grumbled, "You can't tell me that isn't horrible in its own right."

"And here I thought you killed someone," she scoffed, "Do you realize who you're talking to? That's nothing compared to some of the things I've done."

"I hurt her pretty deep, though," I pointed out, "You saw how upset she was when I came in with someone else on my hip."

"Your sister."

"She didn't know that," I grabbed the armory door's handle, holding it open for her, "And who knows how long it took her before she got over me enough to find Raol's father?"

"You have a very inflated sense of self," Luna teased, "Don't have to worry about your ego starving. Cut her a little slack. She did manage enough to move on. Prince Raol exists, does he not?"

"Yes, but..."

"Alright then," she cut me off, "She fell in love. You weren't there to catch her. She got hurt. She got up. She healed. She'll be fine. I'm sure that once she shakes this and realizes you two were never going to happen, she'll be ok again."

"It doesn't help that I'm asking her for the Zora Sapphire again," I cringed, "She may kill me."

"You're not dying, Link," Luna assured, "I watch your back, you watch mine. Good?"

"Good." Luna was a lot more worldly than I gave her credit for.

"Link?" one of the Zoras peeked around the corner.

"Yes," I nodded, "Hello."

"It's been quite a while since I saw you," he smiled, "What brings you here? It's the heat, isn't it? You're going to help us again?"

"Prince Raol sent us," I explained, "We need some Zora armor to find whatever's causing the heat up here."

"I bet I know what it was," the armorer assumed, "There was a little witch that came through here and she cursed our waters! I think she might have been Gerudo. Do you think we were visited by the Gerudo princess, Link?"

"I don't know," I noticed Luna wince out of the corner of my eye, "But all I know is that Luna and I are going to make it better."

"That's what you're here for," he beamed, "But you can't do that until you two can breathe underwater, can you?"

"No."

"Alright then! Let's get you set up!"

The armorer knew what he was doing. It wouldn't take very long for us to have our armors done. A few zips of his tape measurer and a quick forge later, two sets of Zora armor sat on mannequins, drying from their last coat of sealant. He's made some design changes since the last time I had some of this stuff on me. There was a clear difference between which one was mine and which one was Luna's. I had a standard Zora appearance, but Luna…Luna looked more like a mermaid than a Zora.

"Very nice," Luna tried it on, looking herself over, "Very, very nice. Practical, yet stylish. I'm impressed."

"I never disappoint," the armorer spun her around, "Be careful down there. Both of you."

"We will," I promised, putting my armor on as well.

And just like that, Luna and I headed to the only part of Zora's Domain that wasn't completely boiling. Just before the entrance of the temple. I remember this temple. It gave me nightmares for weeks after I left. Every now and then, I still have nightmares about it. But then, something dawned on me. In all of Hyrule, Zora's Domain was the coldest point.

"Aren't you going to ask?" Luna practically read my mind, "What did that little Gerudo witch do to curse Zora's Domain?"

"Um…" I would've phrased it a little more delicately, but essentially, she hit the nail on the head.

"There's a lava flow that runs right alongside it," she told me, hitting the gem that drained the temple with her bow, "I managed to redirect it to run underneath it. The lava heated the water above, but the water couldn't reach the lava to turn it to stone. It heated the water and boiled Zora's Domain."

"Was that your order?" I wondered.

"Was draining the Goron hot springs my order?" Luna retaliated, "Of course not. Ganondorf wanted me to freeze over Zora's Domain. If I would've done that, the Zoras would've been imprisoned in the ice. They would've eventually lost consciousness if I did that. If I go the opposite direction, they'd fry and suffer even more. Take the water away from the Zoras and they would be praying for death. So, I came up here and went for a swim. Water bombs, when they're placed in the right spots, come in handy."

"So, what you're saying," I thought it over, "If we can block the lava flow and redirect it to where it's supposed to go, the water will cool off and everything will be back to normal?"

"Exactly," Luna confirmed, "You ready?"

"I think so," I did a quick check of my inventory. The armorer was kind enough to leave a few water bombs in my armor.

"Okie dokie," she forged ahead, "Come on. The flow's this way."

I followed Luna through the temple and started searching for anything that might resemble evidence of lava. Black, ashy rock was all over the place, so that wasn't narrowing anything down. But Luna looked to know exactly where she was going. The Temple of Zora's Domain could be a maze and easy to get lost in, but she knew this place like the back of her hand. Strange. Did she have the map memorized?

We came up to a room where the dark rocks were the most prominent around the door. This must be where the lava flow was. This was where I could shine. I started planting bombs around the base. Seems simple enough. A quick explosion, move a few rocks to block the lava, the waters of Zora's Domain start to cool off and everything's good again. The door unblocked and Luna and I dredged forward.

SLAM!

Of course. Why can't things be easy? Just one temple that's not guarded by a giant monster or some sort of villain trying to kill us. Or why can't the monster be a giant teddy bear that only wants a hug in order to be defeated? Then, he'd let us go peacefully. I'm starting to think monsters just want to fight me for fun at this point. Out of nowhere, a massive boulder started to anthropomorphize in front of us as smaller rocks took the form of its hands and feet with lava shooting through its body.

"What did you do?" Luna gave me a swat to the chest.

"Nothing!" I squeaked, unsheathing my sword, "What do we do?"

The monster let out a loud growl, horrifying the both of us. Luna froze, "I don't know. Maybe if you put your bombs with my arrows?"

"MA!" the monster snarled.

"Excuse me?" Luna looked it over.

"MAMA!" it repeated.

"Mama?" I wondered, shooting my sister glances, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh…" Luna bit her lip, "I think this might be my fault…"

"MAMA!" the monster stomped around, shooting lava from its fingertips at both of us.

"What do you mean?" I jumped out of the way, "Luna, this thing is very angry and it's not stopping."

"MAMA!"

"Hold on," she thought back, "I think I know what this monster wants."

"What?!"

"Toss me your ocarina," Luna demanded, "I have an idea."

"What's my ocarina going to do?" I squealed.

"When I was down here last," she remembered, "I had a magic potion in my bag and it spilled all over the place. Inadvertently, I think this monster thinks I'm its mother. In a way, I am. The magic must have taken hold better than I thought."

"Here!" I tossed her my ocarina, "I don't understand what my ocarina's going to do, though."

"You had your lullabies," Luna smirked, "I had mine."

She took in the mouthpiece and played a soft, slow melody that got the monster to settle down. The lava through its body started to cool, turning it to stone. The monster fell to its knees, submitting to Luna's song. The melody even made me a little dizzy. I must admit, though. She had a talent for it. It's very soothing. Enough to get the monster to go to sleep.

"I think it worked," I whispered, careful not to wake it.

"Like I said," she gave me my ocarina back, "You had your lullabies, didn't you? That was one that Shira played for me when I had night terrors when I was a kid. She hummed it for me and I knew everything was going to be ok."

"It's beautiful," I applauded, "What do we do now?"

"We use my accidental monster child and redirect the lava," Luna suggested, pushing into its side, "Come on, Link. Help a sister out."

"Ok," I pushed with her and rolled the monster to the lava flow. What once flowed vertically now flowed horizontally. The way it was supposed to be. Another job well done. Now, to find a way out of here.


	12. A Hero's Return

**A/N: I completely spaced this out last week and I feel kind of bad about it, but to my guest review from two weeks ago that's feeling the story and my writing, thank you. I've said it once. I'll say it again. A little encouragement goes a long way, guys. If you're into this story, too, dropping a review costs zero dollars and makes me smile for a few days. How about another chapter then, yeah?**

Swimming around Zora's Domain was always so peaceful. Moving lazily in the water. It's centering. Now that the water wouldn't boil anyone's flesh right off their bones, I'm not the only one that could enjoy that feeling anymore. It made the impending threat looming over the kingdom drift out of my thoughts. I could lay weightless in this water for hours and be perfectly content.

"Link," Luna knocked me out of my serene headspace, "I hate to take you out of your daydreams, but we're on a bit of a time crunch. We have a Zora queen to take care of. Hopefully, she won't hate you anymore and Prince Raol got her to calm down."

"Alright," I followed her up to the surface, passing dozens of Zoras on the way. They figured out that the waters are finally cooled off. And that's because of us.

Since I've been traveling across Hyrule with Luna, I've started notice how every time we helped someone, she'd stop shying away. Four different Zoras stopped us on our way to the surface and each one would bring a different and brighter light to her face. Once we got back above water, it only amplified. Left and right, Zoras were stopping us to say their thank yous.

I could see it in the bright blue of her eyes. Luna didn't know how to process this. For once, she was more than just Ganondorf's muscle. She was more than just the Gerudo princess. Right here and right now, she proved herself just as much the Hero of Time as I was. And I couldn't be prouder of her. Just before we got to the throne room, I draped my arm around her in hopes of her settling down. Although she flinched at my touch, Luna began to relax.

"Luna," I worried, "Are you alright?"

"It's weird, you know?" Luna took a seat at her default resting spot. I guess any big rock would do, "This hero thing. I've had people speak my name in hushed whispers for so long out of sheer terror. Hearing it cheered and celebrated across Hyrule. It's a definite adjustment. That's for sure."

"Welcome to being a hero for a change," I sat with her, "You've come a long way from when we met in the Lost Woods."

"I'm not trying to kill you," she joked darkly.

"That's true." It still got a cheap laugh out of me, "Not that you would anyway."

"Of course not."

"But this whole hero thing," I sat with her, "It comes with a few perks, but the feeling of doing something right is more rewarding than all the others."

"Because your nice house in Kakariko rent free isn't a perk," Luna teased, "That one must be rough to take."

"You know what I meant," I rolled my eyes, "But no. That's not rough at all."

"Thought so."

"Come on," I gave her a little shove, "Let's go see Ruto."

"Good luck," Luna smirked a bit, "Your girlfriend seemed pretty mad last time you saw her. I doubt she's come out of her ivory towers."

"You don't know that." But it wouldn't surprise me. Ruto could hold a grudge like no one's business. When we got up to the throne room, the doors were still shut and two guards stood outside.

"It's not pretty in there, Link," one of them warned.

"Yeah," the other one added, "Prince Raol went in there an hour or two ago and she was still throwing things. I hope he's ok."

"The prince is pretty resilient," the first one thought, "And Queen Ruto wouldn't dare hurt him. At least I hope not."

"Can we go in?" Luna asked, "We did just save Zora's Domain."

"What do you mean?"

"The waters aren't boiling anymore," I assured, "Why don't you two go for a swim? I'm sure you could use it."

"Definitely!" they both ran off and let Luna and me see Ruto.

But we were to approach with extreme caution. When she was in the right mood, I'm sure Ruto could take over Hyrule on her own _and_ fight Ganondorf. He'd surrender out of fear. In her chambers, Ruto was laying in her bed, the water around it dark and murky. It's been a while since the waters of Zora's Domain were inhabitable. These waters haven't been changed since. Ruto might have been a spoiled prima donna, but she always put her people before herself. Prince Raol sat with his mother, attempting to get her to calm down.

"Mother, please," he begged, "Don't be sad. Link can help us."

"Leave, Raol!" Ruto demanded, "I love you, but right now, your mother needs to be left alone! He said he'd be back, but he runs off with her?"

"Ruto?" I treaded lightly.

"LEAVE!" Ruto threw a rock in our direction, but she fell horrendously short.

"Link! Luna!" Raol ran toward us, "I tried. She's inconsolable."

"Maybe I can help," I approached her bed, "May I speak with you for a moment, your highness?"

"Go away, Link," Ruto snarled, her back still toward me, "I don't want to see you."

"Please?" I kept a soft tone in my voice. There was one little trick up my sleeve that could work, but it was low and dirty.

"I said," she repeated, just as angry, "Go. Away."

She left me no choice, "If it pleases, I'd like to speak with you for just a moment, Princess Ruto."

That got her attention. Ruto peeked over her shoulder, "I'm still mad at you."

"And I deserve it," I took full responsibility for her lack of understanding, "I see why you're mad at me, Ruto, but can we talk for a minute?"

"What do you want?" she continued her pouting.

"Zora's Domain has had a problem with the boiling water," I reminded her, "But it's going to be ok."

"What makes you say that?" Ruto sat up, "Are you going to swoop in and be the hero again?"

"I already did," I smiled, "Zora's Domain is back to being inhabitable."

"You…" she started to soften up, "You did that for me?"

"Yes," I nodded, "I had to. I couldn't leave your people to suffer."

"Link!" Ruto hugged me tight, "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome," I winced. She's gotten stronger since I last saw her and Luna couldn't wipe the grin off her face, "Look, Ruto. There's something I need from you."

"I thought you'd never ask," she beamed, "Should we clear the room first?"

"I don't think we're on the same page," I bit my lip, "I need the Zora Sapphire back."

"Oh…" Ruto lost her smile, but found it shortly after. She dug under her bed and pulled out a case, "Do you remember this?"

"Of course," I took the case, "The most bluest blue in all of Hyrule."

"And what it means?" she shot me a wink.

"Yes," I shut my eyes for a minute, suppressing what it meant, "It's the Zoras' royal engagement ring."

"Then, tell her that!" Ruto snapped, ripping the case out of my hands, pointing at Luna.

"Easy, sister," Luna defended, "Don't get me wrong. Link's a cutie."

"Thank you, Luna."

"But I'm going to let you in on a little secret," she sat with us, "Link's my brother. We share too much blood for me to ever be interested. That'd be gross."

"You never told me you had a sister, Link," Ruto glared through me, "You're keeping secrets now?"

"You two were never going to happen," Luna explained, "Link's got a thing for royalty, but I don't think you're the princess he's looking for. Right now, his princess is in serious trouble that could destroy life as we know it if something happens to her. He and I are going to go save her, but only if you give us the Zora Sapphire. The reason I'm telling you this and not him is because he's too sweet."

"Luna…" I tried stopping her, but there was no stopping her.

"Relax, Link," she went on, "One of his biggest regrets in life is not letting you down easier all those years ago. He didn't know how to handle that kind of situation. Not to mention, he had the whole Hero of Time thing on his plate and Hyrule was in ruin at the time, much like it is now. I'm sorry, but only one princess has Link's heart and she's probably holed up in the Gerudo Desert right now against her will. Now, please. Give us the Zora Sapphire, so we can save her."

"You expect me to give you the Zora Sapphire," Ruto thought, "So you can run off with another girl?!"

"I'm sorry, Ruto," I cringed, "But yes. That's pretty much hitting the nail on the head."

"If it makes you feel any better," Luna added, "Princess Zelda has been turning him down since they were kids."

"Well," Ruto perked up, "I guess the petty vengeance does make me feel a little better. Here, Link. You did save my people. Again."

"I was there, too," Luna pointed out.

"But…" she sighed, "You're leaving again, aren't you? Once I give you this, you're going off on another great adventure to save Hyrule, right?"

"That's right," I confirmed, "I'm sorry, but the kingdom has to come first."

"I understand," Ruto gave me the case again, "Go. Save Princess Zelda. I just hope she knows what she has. Her strong hero. She's a very lucky girl. Just promise me something, Link."

"What's that?"

"Don't take so long until you see me again," she took my hand, "Don't forget about me. You can come up here once in a while just to say hi. No strings attached."

I brought her fin up to my lips, kissing her gently, "Absolutely. Once this is all over with, of course."

"Yes," Ruto started to blush, "I'm looking forward to it."

"Soon," I got up from her bed, "Until later then, Princess."

"Queen," she corrected me, "But you can call me Princess."

And on that note, Luna and I left Zora's Domain and started heading out toward Hyrule Field. Of course, Luna still had that giant grin on her face. And I knew exactly what it was about. There was no sense in waffling around it, "What?"

"I think she likes you," Luna gave me a nudge, "You think there's something there?"

"Shut up, Luna," I shot her down.

"She does…"

"Shut up, Luna," I felt all the blood in my body rush to my face.

"Queen Ruto likes you…"

"Shut up, Luna."

"We got all day, Link," Luna reminded me, "It's just us. And the quickest way to pass the time is to talk about your repressed love life."

"What about you?" I retaliated.

"What about me?"

"What about you and your repressed love life?" I defended.

"I don't have a repressed love life," Luna stretched, "I've been a soldier for far too long to even give that a thought."

"I don't know," I argued, "You and Darius seemed to have a connection."

"Hey," she hushed me, "The odds of anything happening with me and a Goron is the same as something happening with you and the Zora queen. Now, come on. We only have one more stone to get our hands on and it's not going to be an easy find."

"Where are we going?" As if I didn't already know. With the Goron Ruby and the Zora Sapphire in hand, we only needed the Kokiri Emerald. When I had the Kokiri Emerald the first time, it was given to me by the Great Deku Tree. With the Great Deku Tree gone and the remaining Kokiri in the wind, there's no telling where the Kokiri Emerald could be. Either way, we had a long night ahead of us.


	13. The Prodigal Son

We were both thinking it, but no one wanted to say anything. Ever since we left Zora's Domain, Luna and I knew we'd have to find the Kokiri Emerald next. The only way to do that would be to go to the Kokiri Village, which no longer exists. All throughout Hyrule, Luna's orders from Ganondorf have brought so much suffering. I didn't want to believe it, but…Was it true? Could it have been her?

"Well?" Luna broke the silence, "Something on your mind, Link?"

"Plenty." Like the thought of my home being burned to the ground.

"Look," she caught up with me, "Can we talk?"

"I'd rather not."

"Link," Luna tried stopping me, but I just kept walking, "Link…"

"I said no!" I dropped it. The image was still fresh in my mind. What was once a thriving little village had been rendered to nothing but a pile of ash, "Luna, it's been a long day. Do you think we could just call it a night? Find a shelter?"

"I think I saw a cave up ahead," she nodded, the dark circles under her eyes getting more pronounced with each passing day, "We could stay there for the night. By the looks of things, we might have some rain coming in, too."

I found the cave and started making the house a temporary home. Some of the bigger leaves could block out the rain. Tall grass works really well for makeshift string when it's woven just right. Besides, it'd be a nice distraction. Something to keep my mind off things and keep myself from dwelling on possibilities. She wasn't capable of killing me, even when the opportunity presented itself twice. But I've seen the Gorons, the Zoras…She did all of that without batting an eye. Who's to say she wouldn't have…? No.

Even though we shared a cave for the night, we were still quiet. Luna was hiding a silent shame. That could only mean one thing. Or I'm overreacting. I really want to see good in her, but the more we go along and the more horror stories I hear, the harder it becomes. I keep telling myself that she was under Ganondorf's thumb and had no other options. But then again, maybe Impa was right. She always had the option to run from it. It's good to know she finally took it, but it took a death threat against my life for it to click.

"Link…" Luna spoke softly, "Are you still awake?"

As if I could sleep, "Yes."

"Can I tell you something?"

"I don't want to hear it, Luna," I shot her down, "I don't need to. It'll only make things worse."

"Wait," she thought a moment, "What are you talking about?"

"Where are we going next?" I asked, not even wanting to make eye contact with her.

"The Kokiri Ruins," Luna sighed, "Do you want to know?"

"No," I grumbled, "I've been with you long enough and I'm starting to see a pattern."

"Link," she came over to my side of the cave and laid down next to me. I only moved that much further away, "Hey…"

"Luna," I growled, "Not now."

"Listen," Luna insisted, "Before you start jumping to any conclusions, I'm not the one responsible for what happened to the Kokiri Village."

"Really?" my mood was unwavering.

"Really," she assured, "I promise."

"And what good is a promise from the Gerudo princess?" I knew that was low, but I needed something to shake her off my back.

"Fine!" Luna got up and went back to her side of the cave, "You want proof? I can give you proof in the morning. But I swear it wasn't me. Ganondorf wanted to smoke you out, so he hit you where it hurt. He already had Princess Zelda. The only other thing he could do was strip you of your home and he did. He said he had to punish the Kokiri for hiding you in the first place. Believe what you want. I'll give you your proof in the morning."

But until then, we had to wait out this rain. And there'd be no sense in us hating each other, "Hey, Luna?"

"What?" she snapped venomously at me.

"Can you…" I asked, "Can you come here?"

"Why?" Luna continued on, "So the Gerudo princess can snap your neck in your sleep? Because we know she's nothing but pure evil."

"Because I know she wouldn't do that," I settled her, "I'm sorry. To put it in terms you understand, when I found the Kokiri Village, it'd be like if you were to find Gerudo Town in complete ruin with everyone you cared for inside it. It hurts, Luna. It hurts terribly. So, if I seemed a little defensive earlier…"

"A little?"

"If I seemed a little defensive," I repeated, "I'm sorry. I hope you can understand. Good night."

A soft, faint glow radiated behind me as Luna's arm snaked around my shoulder, "Good night, Link."

BOOM!

Luna quickly buried her face in my back, uncontrollably shaking. I couldn't help but worry, "Luna? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she murmured into my tunic, her shaking getting worse.

"Are you sure?" I looked over my shoulder, "Because it seems like you're…"

BOOM!

"I'M FINE," Luna only held me tighter.

"You…" I pulled her into my chest, "You don't do thunderstorms very well, do you?"

"Not particularly," her voice broke, "Never have."

"Hey," I cradled her, "It's alright. It's just rain, Luna. You're fine."

"I know I'm fine," Luna shook, "But that doesn't make me any less freaked here."

"Luna," I lifted her tearstained face, wiping her cheeks. I needed something quick to make her feel a little better, but I'm coming up short. Then, genius struck, "What was that song you were playing in the Goron mines? Could you hum it for me again?"

She started with a few simple notes and while she was in her humming, I reached over and grabbed my ocarina, playing along with her. If anything was going to bring her comfort, it'd be that. The lullaby Shira played for her. Nothing makes one feel better than a warm, fuzzy memory from childhood. Especially since they were so close. Before we knew it, Luna was sleeping soundly in my arm.

Yes. The big, scary Gerudo princess turned Hero of Time horrified of a little thunder. It almost made her story about Ganondorf burning the village more believable. But we'll see when she shows me her proof in the morning. For now, it wouldn't kill me to take advantage of the downtime and get some sleep, right? Unless Luna snaps, but I don't think that's happening. Her terror seemed too real to be fake. Rest well, sister. Rest well.

The next morning, the rain had finally cleared up and the sun shined into the cave. By the scrunched up look on Luna's face, neither one of us were very welcoming of it. Regardless, she managed to pull herself up and out of my arm, "Morning, Link."

"Morning," I rubbed my eyes, "Any ideas on where we should start looking?"

"Let's go to the Lost Woods," Luna stretched, "I'm sure we'll find something there."

"We tried that, remember?" I pointed out, "There was nothing there."

"Trust me," she grabbed her bow and her quiver, "Come here."

"Ok," I followed her outside the cave, "What am I supposed to see?"

"See that cloud over there?" Luna pointed east where a fluffy gray cloud was forming in the Lost Woods.

"What about it?"

"That's not a cloud," she grinned, "That's smoke. Where there's smoke, there's people. And who are we looking for?"

"Are you saying…?" my stomach dropped, "Luna, we searched the Lost Woods…"

"You wanted your proof…"

"And you're just now telling me?" I sprinted toward the smoke cloud. Please let her be ok. Please let her be ok. I needed to know she's ok. At this point, I'm just hoping this isn't another wild goose chase and it's just someone camping in the middle of the Lost Woods. Typically, no one in their right mind would be out there unless they had no other options. The Lost Woods was an absolute labyrinth. They didn't call it the Lost Woods for no reason.

Luna and I followed the smoke and came upon a clearing where an entire refugee camp had been set up. There may have been a couple dozen Kokiri taking care of each other. They're ok…It's good to know the Kokiri aren't entirely extinct. It's possible for them to live on. But what kind of conditions are these to be living in? Maybe I was just biased because I managed to get my house in Kakariko, but still…This was rough. Where was she…? I know she wouldn't leave them like this.

"THERE YOU ARE!" a shrill, familiar voice screeched at me, "The prodigal son returns."

"Mido…" I felt the same cringing sensation up my spine as I did back then.

"Where have you been, Link?" Mido snapped, getting in my face. As much as what he could anyway.

"Saving the kingdom," I reminded him, "Do you not know what I've done?"

"How do you even have the guts to walk into our camp?" his tirade continued, "I can't believe you."

"What do you mean?" I wondered, "I'm…"

"You abandoned us!" Mido bared his teeth, "You abandoned her! After everything this village has done for you and this is how you repay us? You don't even deserve to be standing in front of me."

"Mido," I started to feel an ache in my heart, "I didn't know that…"

"Just go," he scoffed, "You're not one of us and you never were. We don't need you."

"Hey!" Luna stepped in, "Keebler!"

"Excuse me?" Mido stopped, "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, I am," she stood her ground, "What are you doing, blaming Link for all this? It's not like he's the one that lit the match. This isn't his fault!"

"He could've come back," he grumbled, "He could've helped us rebuild or flee, but no. Instead, he decided to galivant with royals and join the Royal Guard and become Princess Zelda's lapdog. Because he thought he was too good for us."

"Luna," I tried to stop her, "Please. Let's just go."

"No," Luna wasn't moving, "You don't deserve this. He was busy saving the rest of the kingdom and you're complaining that he couldn't get to you in time?"

"You have a big mouth," Mido left me alone and started going after Luna, "You have no idea the kind of suffering our people have gone through."

"I've been held hostage in Ganondorf's castle for the past ten years," Luna's eyes burned bright, "Torture was a regularly scheduled activity. No one was going to come and rescue me. No one cared if I lived or died except for him. Why? Because he needed me. He didn't care about me. He wanted to use me. I had to make peace with that. But you want to know what happened? I rescued myself and I've been on the run ever since. So, don't you assume I don't know suffering."

"Luna," I pulled her back before she hurt someone, "Mido, please. Do you know where the Kokiri Emerald is?"

"Like I'd let you have it anyway," Mido never knew when to quit. His arrogance was always his downfall and I see nothing's changed, "The jewel of _our_ people in the hands of an outsider?"

"Please," I begged, "Right now, we need it more than what you do."

"I'm still not giving it up!"

"Then, I'll beat it out of you!" Luna was itching for a fight and Mido was only fueling the fire.

"Luna," I wasn't quite sure how long I'd be able to hold her back anymore, "Come on. We'll be able to find it without him. Let's go find somewhere outside the camp to set up for the night."

"Fine," she followed me out into the Lost Woods, "I could've taken him, Link. Why'd you stop me?"

"Because," I let out a heavy sigh, "He's right. I didn't belong there. I just ended up there. A victim of happenstance. We can wait until tomorrow and go looking then."

I could've come back. I should've come back. How could I have left them so easily? I guess it's the fact that I had a kingdom to save, but I still could've come back for them. If not for them, then at least for her. I've never had Mido under my skin so bad, but he was right. I let them all down. I've never been Kokiri, so it must have been easier for me to let them go. Then, how could I have done that to Saria?

"Link…" a deep voice called out in the dark of night, "Link…The Forest Temple."

Wait a second…I knew that voice, "Great Deku Tree?"

"Yes, my child," he spoke, "You seem to be troubled. Am I right in assuming this?"

"Why?" I asked, "Why did she bring me here?"

"You know the stories, Link," the Great Deku Tree reminded me, "Your mother brought you here because she knew I could protect you."

"I wasn't Kokiri," I argued, "I didn't belong there."

"Who told you that kind of nonsense?"

"Mido."

"Mido always was a difficult one, wasn't he?" he agreed, "Link, you're better than that. I don't have much time, but the Kokiri Emerald…In the woods of Faron, the Forest Temple. That's where the Kokiri Emerald is hidden. But be careful, Link. It's treacherous in there."

"I will," I promised, "Thank you, Great Deku Tree."

"I should be off now…"

"Wait," I stopped him, "Can I ask you just one more thing?"

"Of course, child."

"Did you know…?" I wondered, "About Luna?"

"Yes," he confirmed, "Your mother told me about Luna. You two should never be in Ganondorf's possession at the same time. Be careful with her as well."

"Do you know if she burned the village?" The knot in my stomach tightened.

"She did not."

Luna did say she'd give me proof. And that was all the proof I needed, "Thank you, Great Deku Tree…"

And just like that, he was gone. The Forest Temple, huh?


	14. Into the Deep Woods

"Luna," I poked the sleeping bear nestled away in her makeshift shelter, "Luna, wake up."

"If you're not dying, Link," Luna growled, her eyes still shut, "You'll wish you were."

"Come on," I gave her a nudge, "We have to get up."

"Why?" she wined, "I'm tired. Let me go back to sleep."

"I know where the Kokiri Emerald is," I started packing, "We have to get going now."

"Alright," Luna sat up, thoroughly annoyed with me, "I'm up. How do you know where the Kokiri Emerald is? Did you go knock some sense into Mido and I missed it?"

"No," I explained, "I was visited by the spirit of the Great Deku Tree."

"I woke up for a ghost story?" she rolled over, "No, thank you. This can wait until morning. Good night, Link."

"No," I put my foot down, "We have to go now while the Kokiri are asleep and Mido can't stop us."

"Fine," Luna caved, grabbing her bag, her quiver, and her bow, "So, where is the Kokiri Emerald then?"

"The Faron Woods," I headed out, more bound and determined than ever before, "The Great Deku Tree said it's in the Forest Temple."

"Link, wait!" she called after me, catching up.

"Can't," I forged ahead, "At this pace, we'll make it by morning."

"Link!" Luna grabbed my arm, "Slow down! How are we going to get through the woods in pitch dark? The Lost Woods are a giant maze and all the spark beads in the world aren't going to be able to light the way."

I thought it over for a minute or two. Luna had a point. The Lost Woods were hard to navigate no matter how well we know them. It's not like anyone had the idea to make a map of this place. Maybe we should start early tomorrow morning. At least we'd have a little bit of light to help us out. Then, genius struck! I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier, "I know how we're going to get through the woods in the pitch dark."

"Enlighten me," she took a seat on a giant bolder.

"We get help," I looked around for any signs of him, "I know you're there. You're hiding somewhere. Come on out. Where are you?"

"No!" a voice shouted out, "She's scary!"

"It's alright," I settled him, "She's ok now. She's not going to hurt you."

"Link," Luna got nervous, "Who are you talking to?"

"Someone who knows these woods better than anyone else," I noticed the top of his straw hat peeking out from the inside of a rotted tree that had yet to fall, "Come on…"

"Are…" he peered over, "Are you here to play with me, Link? I'd love to play with you."

"Sort of," I shrugged, "She and I have an important mission to get to. And we need help out of the Lost Woods, Skull Kid. No one knows these woods like you do. So, if you can find a way for us to play and get us out of here, then yes. We can play, too."

"Wonderful!" Skull Kid spun his horn around his finger, "Follow me!"

"Link," Luna groaned, "What are we doing?"

"Follow him!" I ran after the little imp, listening to him play his tune. The louder his song, the closer he was. We chased him all over Hylia's creation until we finally came to a clearing. This didn't look like the way out.

"I thought you said he was going to get us out of here," Luna stopped to catch her breath.

"You said you were going to play with me," Skull Kid teased, resting on top of a rock, "We have to play."

"Alright," I needed to get out of here and the only way was to play with him, "What do you want to do now, Skull Kid?"

"Play with me!" he took out his horn, "Play with me!"

"Fine," I see what he's doing. I took out my ocarina, "What do you want to play?"

"Not you!" Skull Kid shot me down, "The angry, scary lady."

"Luna," I handed her my ocarina, "Could you play with him?"

"Why do you want to play with me?" Luna wondered.

"So I know you're not mean!" Skull kid started a song.

"What do I do?" she leaned over to me.

"Play what he plays," I figured.

"Alright," Luna followed along with whatever it was Skull Kid was trying to play.

"Yay!" Skull Kid finished his song, "You're alright with me, scary lady."

"It's Luna," she corrected him, "I'm sorry about throwing my boots at you, Skull Kid."

"We're alright," he let her off the hook, "If you take a left, a right, and another right, you'll be right out of here. Good luck, Link! See you later!"

Finally, we were back in somewhat civilization. At least we were out of the Lost Woods. After passing the charred remains of the Kokiri Village, Luna and I made it into the Faron Woods. I remember running around these woods as a kid, too. Something was oddly peaceful out here. But we weren't out here to relax. Deep in the Faron Woods was a dilapidated structure that was once the Forest Temple.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Luna asked, "I think I remember squatting here with the moblins before, but it sounded super haunted."

"I'm sure," I nodded, pushing the door open.

"And did the Great Deku Tree tell you which room it's in?"

"It's just up ahead," I assumed. Deeper into the temple, I could've sworn I heard laughter and music. Maybe Luna was right and the temple was haunted now. The ground started to shake underneath us. THE TEMPLE IS HAUNTED!

"We're getting impatient, Princess," a familiar, soft voice growled. Or it's not haunted.

"Cryoheim," Luna bared her teeth, ready to draw her bow, "Leave. No one asked you to be here."

"Quite the contrary," Cryoheim chimed, "Ganondorf asked me to be here. He figured you and the little hero were after the stones. The Kokiri Emerald's here, is it not?"

"Leave," she demanded.

He held the tip of his blade up to my throat and I tried to jump back, "HOLD ON HERE!"

"I've already brought him near death once, Princess," Cryoheim grinned darkly, "Would you care to see me try again?"

"You know what happened last time," Luna stood her ground, drawing her bow.

"Your magic trick doesn't impress me," he scoffed, a bright red light emanating from his blade, "Because Ganondorf gave me a nice little present. You're not scaring me anymore. One little swipe and goodbye, Hero of Time…"

"Not in my temple," a sweeter voice warmed me inside. A bright blast of light threw Cryoheim into the wall, "How dare you come into my temple and try to hurt him?"

"Who…"

BAM!

"Leave my temple," she ordered, "Never come back. And no harm is going to come to this boy. Not here. Not now. Now, leave!"

"This temple is haunted!" Cryoheim ran off, "But I will be back for you, Princess!"

Luna gave me a worried look, "Is this temple haunted?"

"No," I smiled, "It's guarded by a sage."

"Hello, Link," the bright light came down, sitting on the pedestal in the middle of the room, "The Great Deku Tree told me you'd be coming. And you must be Luna."

"Yes," she still wasn't sure what was going on, "Who are you?"

"I'm Saria," she introduced herself, "I'm the sage of this temple. It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Wait," Luna looked over at me, "Is she that Saria?"

"Yes," I beamed, remembering what I had in my pocket, "Wait, Saria, I have your ocarina!"

"You can keep it," Saria insisted, "But maybe you could play for me like when we were young. You were always the better one at it, Link. Please? Just for me?"

"Of course," I couldn't turn her down. A soft, familiar melody came out of my ocarina. A song I played for Saria all the time when we were younger. Memories of the Kokiri Village started flooding back. Of Saria and I hiding in the Lost Woods. All of the times she stood up to Mido for me. I missed those days.

"Thank you," her face lit up, "Now, I'm sure I have something for you. Hold on."

Saria receded into the pedestal and came back out with a bright green stone in her hands. I couldn't help but touch it, "The Kokiri Emerald."

"I'm trusting you have the other two," Saria hoped.

"We do," I nodded, taking the emerald. All of a sudden, the Master Sword started to glow like Cryoheim's sword. Only instead of red flames, a divine, blue light shined bright. I think the Master Sword is back at full power. We're ready, "Saria…I wish we could stay longer, but we have to go save Princess Zelda."

"What else is new?" she teased, kissing my cheek, "Be careful, Link…"

"I will," I tried my hardest to not start blushing, but my body betrayed me as the heat rose in my face.

"And Luna," Saria turned her attention toward my sister.

"Yes?"

"He's reckless," she jabbed, "Please. Watch him. I know you're capable."

Luna looked to Saria, then back to me. A big smile swept across her face, "It'd be my pleasure…"

This was it. With the Master Sword at full power and the other half of the Triforce of Courage at my side, we were ready to take on Ganondorf. Everything has been leading up to this moment and now, his reign of terror would be over. I'm coming for you, Zelda. It'll be ok.


	15. The Eastern Wind

All three Spiritual Stones …Finally, they're ours. It'd probably be a good idea to go back to Castle Town. Supplies were running low and these stones could stand to go back to the Temple of Time. And if I'm not mistaken, there's a festival in Castle Town. Despite the princess being missing, kingdom morale can't afford to fall. This might be just what we need. However, before we go play, we had work to do. To the Temple of Time.

"Wow," Luna stood in awe of the temple, "Looks like this place has gotten a little love since we were here last. You think it's because of the festival?"

"It's possible," I agreed, "Do you have the stones?"

"Yes, I do," she opened her bag and placed them gently on the stone table in the middle of the room, "See? Safe and sound."

"Well done, you two," Impa joined us, "It's been quite some time since I've seen them up close."

"Impa," I turned around, "You're still here?"

"I've been waiting for you to return," she sat on the steps, "I don't have the kind of power it takes to take on the likes of Ganondorf. Even if I had the power of all the sages backing me, it wouldn't be enough. Two pieces of the Triforce in his hands is a dangerous thing. Going in there without a plan would be pointless and bringing any of our knights in there would be leading them to a slaughter. He has us cornered and the people are so blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation."

"Because this isn't their fight," Luna offered her some comfort, "It's ours. The guardians of the Triforce coming together in one final battle royale for who gets supreme control of it. It's sad that it has to be this way, but it's the only way he'll learn."

Impa sat back in awe, looking Luna over, "You've changed quite a bit in your travels, haven't you, Gerudo princess?"

"Please," she insisted, "It's just Luna. The Gerudo princess died in Kakariko Gorge along with a horde of bokoblins she trained."

"Luna, then," Impa nodded, giving her a little smile, "Shira would've been proud of the young woman you've become. Especially given that you've had ample opportunity to wipe out the Hero of Time for Ganondorf, yet here he stands. You've become his attendant, no?"

"No," Luna shook her head, a little break in her voice, "Because he's not the only Hero of Time."

"That's right," I agreed, "She is, too."

"How do you figure?" Impa wondered.

"Impa," I sat with her, "Did you know about Luna? The last time we spoke?"

"Know what?"

"It's us," Luna explained, "The Sheikah legend you told us. Link and I are the twins born under the full moon. See?"

She put her right hand in Impa's, showing off the pulsating glow coming from her skin. And my left hand reacting the same way. Impa jumped a bit, "It's true…"

"She's just as much the Hero of Time as I am," I assured, "She's done some things that I know she's not proud of, but she's tried to make them right. And succeeded. She's come a long way since you last saw her and I couldn't be prouder."

"I've heard stories of a mysterious girl helping Hyrule," Impa stared at Luna's hand in disbelief, "But I never thought she'd be you."

"Righting my wrongs," Luna clarified, "It needed to be done."

"In that case," Impa thought, "I suppose I owe you an apology, Luna. It's likely for the best that Shira was the seer and not me. Did she ever tell you her final vision?"

"No," she shifted a bit, "All she said was to go with Ganondorf, so I did. Otherwise, I would have gone with you, Impa."

"We needn't worry about the past now," she settled her, "Now, do you two plan on storming Ganondorf's castle?"

"Yes," I promised, "We're leaving at first light."

"Understood," Impa let us go, "You have preparations to make. Rest up and replenish your supplies. Before you leave tomorrow morning, stop by the tavern."

"We will."

"Go on," she sent Luna and me off and the two of us headed out.

After we got our room taken care of at the tavern, Luna and I split to do some shopping. We were good on the bombs, but our potions were low. Luna's endurance was amazing, but her energy only came in short bursts. I should get some stamina potions for her. Something in my gut was telling me to get some magic potions, too. Just as I came out of the magic shop, I found Luna at one of the stalls in the town square.

"Hey," I joined her, "I thought you said you were getting arrows."

"I did," Luna stared into the stall, lost in a trance, "But then, I saw that."

A bright purple bow sparkled on the back wall, displayed as a top prize for anyone that can hit the targets. I wiped the drool off my sister's chin, "It's beautiful. There's no doubt."

"Beautiful?" she gasped, "I'd marry it if I could! I need that bow, Link. I need it now. How many rupees to play this game?"

"Fifteen, I think," I checked the board.

"Move over, sweetheart," one of the bigger guys pushed Luna out of the way, "This isn't a game for little girls. You'll get hurt like that."

Luna's eyes turned red. Understandable, "You don't think I can shoot a bow?"

"Look at this, boys," he nudged some of her buddies, "This little girl is trying to be all tough."

"Hey," I tried to stop him, "Leave her alone."

"Better yet," Luna decided, "Let's make it interesting."

"Interesting, huh?" he smirked, "What'd you have in mind?"

"If I hit the targets," she bargained, "I get the bow and I get to kick you in your shin as hard as I possibly can. Sound good?"

"But when I win," he reached out to her face, "I get a kiss. Deal?"

"Fine," Luna rolled her eyes, "Give me a bow."

"Here you go," the man running the stall gave Luna a small bow. By the looks of it, she was insulted.

"Link," she grumbled, "This bow is rigged. The arrow is weighted."

"Can you do it?" I wondered.

"Of course I can," Luna grinned, "Watch."

"This is going to be good," the big guy chuckled under his breath.

She took a deep breath and lined up her shot. A little high than what would she normally would. But with great ease, it hit right in the center. Clearly, he underestimated her. Luna looked over at her stunned opponent, "Well? Your shot."

The guy started getting nervous, "Sure. Yes."

He lined up his shot. And missed horribly. Luna's grin only got bigger, "Nice shot."

"Well done!" the vendor took the sparkling bow down from the wall, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Luna beamed, glaring at the guy, "I'd like to collect now please."

"I, uh…" the guy tried running off on her.

"Excuse me," she grabbed his arm, "I believe I was promised to kick you in the shin."

"Why do you want to kick me?"

"I got personal issues," Luna shrugged him off, "But give me your leg."

"Uh…" he stretched out his leg, giving a preemptive wince, "Go ahead. Do your worst."

"I didn't say it was going to be now," she pointed out, "I'll kick you in the shin whenever I feel like it."

"When are you going to kick me?!"

"You'll know," Luna ran her fingers over her new bow, "This really is a beaut."

"With your new bow," the vendor gave her a new, glowing quiver, "You'll need some new arrows, too. These are enchanted. If you ever need more, you can buy some from the shop!"

"Thank you," Luna slung it over her shoulder, making the other guy flinch. She was getting a twisted sense of joy out of this, "Come on. We should get going."

I followed Luna back to the tavern and the two of us called it a night. We were both pretty tired and a long morning awaited us. Our room was comfortable, though. Being the Hero of Time definitely gave me some perks. Having the best room was one of them.

"Hey, Link," Luna spoke softly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I rolled over, "What's on your mind?"

"Did you mean what you said?" she wondered, "To Impa earlier?"

"Absolutely," I assured, "You're just as much of the Hero of Time as I am by now. You can wear that title proudly, too. You're definitely not the Gerudo princess anymore."

"Thank you, Link…" Luna's voice shook, "For everything."

"You're welcome," I smiled, "Good night, Luna."

"Good night…"

I shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I woke up in our room by myself. I guess Luna went for a morning run. Nevertheless, I wish she would've told me. I would've joined her and saw what all the fuss was about. And…she took her bag, her bow, and her quiver for resistance…Right? A piece of paper was left on her bed.

 _Link,_

 _Good luck with Ganondorf, but I'm sorry._

 _I can't go back to that castle. There's way_

 _too much for me to handle. Please…Understand._

 _Thank you, brother. Maybe we'll meet again someday._

 _You and me back in the Lost Woods. I'll get the moblins_

 _out of your house and get going._

 _-Luna_

No…I ran downstairs, hoping I wasn't too late. Impa was sitting at the bar, waiting for me, "Impa!"

"Link," she stopped me, "What is it?"

"Have you seen Luna?" I tried to catch my breath.

"No," Impa wondered, "Why?"

"Because," I still didn't want to believe it, "I think she's gone."


	16. Straight for the Castle

**A/N: Thank you again, James Birdsong. You're a good dude. I reward you with a virtual hug. And another chapter.**

Now or never, right? With or without Luna. Although, I must admit. I'm worried about her. What if she gets taken by Ganondorf or Cryoheim? What if someone realizes who she used to be and isn't very forgiving? Luna would get burned at the stake for the things she did. Wherever she is, I hope she's ok. No matter what, thought, I still had to stop Ganondorf. I've stopped him with half the Triforce of Courage before. I can do it again. But I also had the power of the sages backing me up…

I forgot how hot the Gerudo Desert was. If I don't drown in my own sweat by the time I get to the castle, I'll be amazed. Luckily, I had a few bottles of cold, enchanted water. Impa was kind enough to give them to me before I left Castle Town. If I didn't have these, I'd probably die from heatstroke. I should almost be to Gerudo City by now. Hopefully, somewhere will be shaded.

Once I passed through the gate, I made sure to keep my head down. Something tells me that I wouldn't exactly be very welcome here. Between wanting to end their king and the fact that I'd be the only man among the tribe of strong women warriors, I'll stick out like a sore thumb. In order to get to Ganondorf's castle, I slipped through alleys, hid behind crates full of bananas (I'm sure they won't notice a few of them missing. Bananas grown in the Gerudo Valley were the sweetest, most perfect bananas in all of Hyrule.), sneaking around corners.

"Stop!" an angry voice shouted at me. Before I knew it, half a dozen spear tips surrounded me. One wrong move and I'd be impaled. It brought me back to meeting Luna in the Lost Woods. I guess she had to learn it somewhere, "Who are you?"

"I'm…"

"Not important!" she drove her knee into my lower back, "We'll take you for questioning now."

The leader of the small Gerudo attack force hit me in my forehead with the end of her spear and knocked me unconscious. More than likely, I'll be taken to the dungeon. The dungeon is in Ganondorf's castle. Since I need to go there anyway, I can think of it as a protected escort. Then, I'll break out, find Zelda, take Ganondorf out, and if there's time, I can find my sister.

The cold cement of my cell floor was definitely welcomed when I woke up. Anything is better than that blazing sun. At least there was a positive about my capture. Let's see…I only have one guard, so we can count that as a blessing. I'd only have one Gerudo warrior to fight if I'm going to break out of here. By the looks of her, she might have been new. This one didn't look too much older than me.

"It wakes!" she jumped, preparing her spear.

"Hey," I stopped her, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"No!" she kept her stance.

"Ameerah!" the leader came in, "What did I say about engaging?"

"Forgive me, Mother," she bowed, backing away.

"Now," the leader came into my cell, "I'm going to show you how to conduct a proper interrogation. Pay attention."

"Yes, Mother."

POW!

A heavy fist clocked me in the jaw, "Why are you here?"

"Where is she?" I recovered quickly. A perk of the Triforce, "Where is Princess Zelda? I know she's being held here."

"That's none of your business, _voe_!" the leader prepared herself for another hit, "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to stop Ganondorf from destroying the kingdom," I stood my ground, "He's too powerful and you know it!"

"Hush!" she hit me again, fully aware I was right.

"He's corrupted one of your own," I hoped my name dropping would pay off, "She's well-known throughout Hyrule as the Gerudo princess, but her name is Luna."

The leader froze in her tracks, keeping her weapon up, "How do you know about Luna? No outsider knows what her name is."

"She's my sister," I crossed my fingers, watching as she started to settle down.

"LIES!" she growled, hitting me once more, "Stay down. When you're ready to start telling the truth, then you can get up. Ameerah, watch him closely."

"Yes, Mother." The leader of the Gerudo attack force left me on the floor of my cell. That last hit hurt worse than I thought it would. My guard slowly approached my cell, getting down to my level, "Are you alright?"

"I've been worse," I wiped the blood from my lip, "Do you have my bag in here, by chance?"

"Yes," she got up, "What do you need?"

"The red potion," I requested, "Please."

"Sure..." She dug through my bag and gave me a bottle of red potion. Immediately, I started to feel better, "Shira loved her, you know. Luna...When she died and Luna went off with His Majesty, we were all worried. But when she came back this morning, she seemed so different. Life had returned to her eyes."

"She's here?" I wondered.

"Yes," she nodded, "I saw her at the castle with some of the king's...attendants."

"But," I assumed, "You can't let me out, can you?"

"My mother would have my head for something like that!" she squeaked, checking the hall, "But we'd have to make it quick. There's a passage that she doesn't know about. Behind the barrels."

"Thank you," I smiled, "I promise you. I can make Luna better again."

"Hurry," she popped the lock off the cell door, "But wait..."

"What is it?" I stopped, pushing the barrel out of the way.

"Are you him?" she asked, "The Hero of Time?"

"You can just call me Link," I insisted, "No need for formalities."

"Then, you can call me Ameerah," she introduced herself, giving me a map, "Go. Stop him. Save her. Be the hero."

"That was the plan," I crawled through the hole in the wall and into the empty hallway. Alright. Zelda, Luna, Ganondorf. I'd have to be careful. Gerudo warriors could be vicious and the ones guarding the king were a million times worse than the average foot soldier. They could probably twist my body into a pretzel and launch me into the sun if they so decided. For right now, I needed to find Luna. If she's in the castle, she'll help me fight Ganondorf.

Where do I start? This castle's huge. This map Ameerah gave me might not even work for me. This whole place was a labyrinth. I could find her. I'm sure. She's got to be somewhere around here. Let's see…There's a training room up here. If I were Luna and I'm about to overthrow Ganondorf, who just happens to have the Triforce of Power, I'd want to make sure my physical being was prepared for something of that magnitude. Right here on the left.

"HEY!" a bunch of squealing women made me cover my eyes. Oops. Bathhouse, not battle room.

"HOW DARE YOU?"

"DO YOU KNOW WHO WE HAVE IN HERE?"

"I'm sorry!" I defended, "I'm so sorry!"

"HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF DECENCY?"

"HAVE YOU NO RESPECT FOR ROYALTY?"

"Link…?" Finally…A familiar voice. And someone that won't viciously yell at me, "All of you. Out."

"Yes, your highness," all of the others left the two of us alone.

"Luna," I relaxed, "I'm so glad to see you again."

"How'd you know I was here?" she asked, sinking further into the water.

"I was told you were in the castle," I sat down, still keeping my eyes covered, "Luna…Why?"

"I'm sorry," Luna got out of the water and me, being the kind soul that I am, gave her a towel, "Trust me, though. I'm a master of infiltration, Link. I know what I'm doing."

"So," I thought, "You're not going to switch sides on me? You didn't come here, knowing I'd look for you, only to lead me to Ganondorf's feet?"

"Of course not," she promised, "I'm not going to turn on you, dummy. We're two halves of a whole greater power, Link. If we can't work together, neither one of us should have it."

"But," I thought, "You said you weren't coming back here…"

"That was just so you wouldn't come looking for me," Luna gave me a little smile, "You still have a mission to do, Link. You don't need to be distracted. Could you hand me my tunic?"

"Sure," I gave Luna her tunic.

"I should've known you were a traitor," a deep, rumbling voice boomed behind us, "At least you did one thing right, Luna. The Hero of Time…Guardian of the Triforce of Courage. Link, you have far too many titles for someone of your…caliber. But I'm sure there's something I have that you want."

Snap!

"Link!" Zelda let out a squeal, held prisoner in a glass prism suspended in the air.

"Let her go!" I demanded, ready for a fight.

"Luna," Ganondorf ordered, "Kill him."

"I can't," Luna stood her ground, "And you know I can't.

"You're cute," Ganondorf scoffed, sending Zelda away, "When you're ready, you know where I'll be, traitor."

Shortly after, he did the same, disappearing to the top of the tower. I unsheathed the Master Sword, "We have to go."

"Absolutely," a bright, blazing fire burned in Luna's eyes. She stormed out of the bathhouse, slinging her bow around her shoulders on the way out. The two of us slaughtered moblin after moblin, bokoblin after bokoblin. Any creature that Ganondorf had to throw at us wasn't living. Luna and I ran up the stairs into the room at the top of the tower. This was it. Ganondorf was going down right here and now.

"I'm not going to repeat myself, Princess," Ganondorf growled, "Kill him now."

"No!" she pulled an arrow out of her quiver.

"That wasn't a suggestion," he threw a ball of black magic, hitting her right in her heart. Luna fell to the floor. Along with my heart.

"What did you do?" I pulled my sword on him, "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"She wasn't listening," Ganondorf threw me aside, "So, I gave her something to make her more…obedient."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Luna got back on her feet, stumbling a bit to regain her balance. Good…She's alive. Without another word, she drew and pointed her bow at me. Her once bright blue eyes so full of life had turned black. That wasn't Luna in there anymore. And she was under Ganondorf's control. He had her as his puppet and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Now, Luna," Ganondorf ordered, "Be a good girl for your king and kill him."

FWHIPPP!


	17. Not His Princess Not His Puppet

Luna's arrow just barely grazed my ear. If she would've aimed a bit lower, it would've caught my earring and I'd be pinned to the wall. This wasn't her. I knew Luna wouldn't dare hurt me. She's saved and spared my life on several occasions now. There was no way she'd try to kill me now at the drop of a hat. Not the Luna I know. She ran off from Ganondorf because of that.

Once she got close enough, I looked into Luna's eyes. Their usual shimmering blue tone that had been replaced by a pitch black now faded into a smoky purple. Ganondorf. He had full control over her, didn't he? She's under his spell. Such a shame she was once so strong. And now, Luna's back to being his puppet. No. She's better than that. I know I can get through to her. I can kill the Gerudo princess once and for all. I promise you, Zelda. I will save you as soon as I can. But right now, I have to save my sister.

I must admit, though. For mostly using a bow, Luna's hand-to-hand combat was something to be feared. Blow after blow continued to pop something out of place. Impa and I have sparred barehanded time and time again, but Luna was a different monster. Then again, I'm sure Ganondorf's magic is fueling a lot of this, too. I grabbed her fist before it could hit my jaw again.

"Luna," I shook her a little, "You're better than this. You know you are."

"What's the matter?" she awed, "Now that you've seen the monster, you want to run? I've seen you fight bigger, Link, but you're scared of little old me? Fight me."

"No," I refused, "I won't."

"Pull out the legendary blade," Luna demanded, "And fight me!"

I unsheathed the Master Sword just as she asked me and let it clink on the floor, "No."

"Fight me!" Luna got her fist back, "Fight me, oh great Hero of Time! You're too much of a coward, aren't you? To think, a guardian of the Triforce. The Triforce of Courage, no less! Truly a twisted, cosmic joke. I guess even the Goddesses are allowed to make mistakes."

"Say what you will," I bit my tongue, "I still won't fight you, Luna."

"Why?" Angry tears started swelling in her eyes, "Why won't you fight me?"

"Because," I reiterated, "I know that, deep down, you're still in there. The girl that changed her fate, that fixed her mistakes. And I bet you helped the Kokiri, too, didn't you?"

Luna froze, her grip tightening on her bow, "What do you mean?"

"When it comes to me," I kept pushing, "Saria is very protective."

"Good for her," she tried to shake me out of her head, but I think I'm getting through to her.

"She told you to keep an eye on me," I went on, "She wouldn't say that to just anyone. Not unless she saw something in you. I'm sure you got bored hanging around the Lost Woods. You've been on this path to redemption since before we met and now, you're going to backslide like this?"

"Shut up!" Luna threw another punch at me, her blows softening. I am getting through to her.

"Luna," I settled her. Tried to anyway, "You know you're better than this. Get him out of your head."

"That's not happening," Ganondorf chuckled from his comfortable aerial seat, "That spell is quite powerful. You've lost her, child. And there is no getting her back."

"You don't give her enough credit," I held her face in my hands, "Luna, listen to me. You are so much stronger than this. Don't give in to him. Remember what you've done. What we've done. He used you as his pawn. You're not evil, Luna. You're just as much the Hero of Time as I am. Don't let Ganondorf win."

"I already have you in my castle," he boasted, "My princess is about to tear you limb from limb while I harness the power from yours. I'd say I've already won."

"No." For the first time in our lives, I finally got to hold my sister in my arms. I hugged her tight, hoping something would stick, "Come on, Luna. I know you're in there."

"How touching," Ganondorf rolled his eyes, "Do you really think a hug is going to help things?"

"Link…" Luna's body went limp, "I'm so tired."

"I know," I steadied her, a bright glow radiating around us, "Do you think you could hold on a little bit longer?"

"I don't know," she rested her head on my shoulder, "That spell took a lot out of me."

"Here," I took out a bottle, releasing a fairy. It fluttered around the two of us, "You'll be alright."

"Can't I just go to sleep?" Luna's started drifting off already.

"When this is all over," I promised, "I'm sure that, for helping save the princess, you could probably get a really comfortable bed in the castle."

"Hyrule Castle?" she sighed out.

"That's right," I bounced her a bit, trying to wake her back up, "Come on. Wake up, Luna. Let's take him out in the way that only we can."

"Just like Dodongo's Cavern?" Luna assumed, coming back around.

"Just like Dodongo's Cavern." There you are, Luna. Welcome back, "Do you feel good enough to do it?"

"I think so," she nodded, taking my left hand in her right.

The power of the Triforce charged through both of us in a way I've never felt before. Was this its true power? My body regained all its stamina and I could take on Ganondorf alone if I wanted to. However, it'd be more of a poetic justice if Luna, at one time the Gerudo princess and Ganondorf's right hand man, who was sent to kill me in the first place, and me, the Hero of Time, the thorn in his side, sworn protector of the Princess of Hyrule, to take him out together. A blinding light emanated around us as a ball of pure energy materialized between us and flung it toward Ganondorf, knocking him down from his high horse.

"How…?" Ganondorf tried to get up, "How did you do this?"

"A pair of twins born under the full moon," Luna regained her strength, "The Triforce of Courage split between the two. That is why you wanted me to kill Link, isn't it? So I'd take his half? No. That's not happening. Link gave me the one thing you never could."

"The other half of what's rightfully yours?"

"No," she grabbed her bow and set an arrow in it, "He gave me family. He gave me love that you'd never know. I now understand why Shira told me to go with you when she died. To study you. To learn your weakness. And ultimately, to bring you down."

"You wouldn't dare, Princess," Ganondorf stood back up, "You wouldn't touch me."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because," he raised her from the ground without laying a finger on her, "You're. Mine."

"Link…" Luna struggled for breath.

"Put her down!" I demanded, picking up the Master Sword again.

"And what will you do?" Ganondorf kept her in suspension, "With only half your power, you couldn't hope to hurt me. Your little sword couldn't give me the slightest papercut."

"Link…" Luna wriggled in his grasp, "Bow…My…Bow…His…His neck."

I ran over to grab Luna's bow from under her and aimed it at Ganondorf's neck. My bow skills were never terrible, but they were nowhere near as good as Luna's. For right now, they'd have to be. Ganondorf was keeping Luna in the air, making sure her life would drain from her eyes. She was growing dizzier and dizzier by the second. I had to hurry. I ran around him while he was distracted and landed an arrow in his neck.

Once the arrowhead went into his skin, he dropped Luna. She was exhausted. Alive, but exhausted. You deserve the rest, Luna. Go ahead and take a knee. I think I can handle the rest. I set up my next arrow, ready to plunge it into Ganondorf again. I shot the same spot in his neck, making him writhe yet again. Not only that, but Zelda managed to fall from her prison as well. One more. Just one more shot and he's gone.

With one swipe of his hand, Ganondorf knocked Luna's bow out of my hand and knocked me down to the ground. This was exhausting. I needed another potion, but I might have been out. This was killing me. I felt like I was on my last leg. Then again, so was he. All I needed to do was get my hands back on Luna's bow. However, I couldn't reach it. But Luna could. And she succeeded.

"I'm not your princess," Luna spoke hoarsely, "I'm not your puppet. I'm not your pawn. Not anymore."

Just like that, Ganondorf's eyes shut eternally. Finally. It was finally over…

"Link…" a soft, sweet voice chimed, "Are you alright?"

"Zelda…" I came to, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she shook me off, "What about you?"

"Here," Luna pulled a potion out and put it to my mouth, "Drink this."

I downed the bright blue liquid and started feeling a hundred percent again, "Thank you."

"Who are you?" Zelda looked over at my savior.

"Forgive me, your highness," Luna turned on the formalities, "My name is Luna."

"You're the Gerudo princess," she assumed, turning slightly hostile.

"Not anymore," Luna promised.

"Zelda," I settled her, "She's my sister."

"You have a sister?" Zelda gave me a look, "Are you sure that potion wasn't poison?"

"I wouldn't kill him," Luna got defensive, "I've had that chance and I'm not taking it."

"Come on," I got up, stumbling a few steps, "Let's get back to the castle. I'm sure there are a few people that would love to see you safe, Zelda."

This was it. It's all over…

 **A/N: Hi, guys. First of all, James, you're still a good dude. And I reward you with one virtual hug that can also be redeemable if we're ever to meet in real life. And Trevor, you're awesome, too. You get that same virtual hug. Next week is going to be the last chapter. Just as a heads up. Now, I'm going to go to bed. See you next chapter! xx**


	18. All is Well

**A/N: Well, guys. Here we are at the end. I know I haven't talked much throughout this story and I'm sorry you haven't gotten the same treatment and love as all of the others. I figured my big mouth got me into trouble, so I might as well keep it shut. But now, we're going to talk a little more right now. Even though it caught some static in the beginning (See earlier AN drama from chapters 1-3.) but to those of you that have stuck with it every week, thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that kind of ugliness so early. You didn't deserve that. And to that one person that didn't like it, I hope you're doing well. Now, how about last week's review?**

 **Trevor, sweetheart, clearly, you must be new to this site because this isn't even the best story on my profile. However, I'm flattered and thank you for saying such nice things. I reward you with yet another virtual hug and my undying love. If we are ever to meet in the wild, well…That'd be neat. But approach with caution. I have social anxiety and panic attacks aren't pleasant. Now, how about we get to the story, yeah? I can be mushy at the end. Ok?**

Our return to Hyrule Castle was met with great pomp and circumstance. We were treated like the Goddesses themselves as soon as we arrived through the front gates. They didn't even think twice about Luna. The guards saw me. The guards saw Zelda. That's all that mattered. More than likely, they wrote Luna off as an attendant of either mine or hers. Not only did we end Ganondorf, but I think it's safe to say the Gerudo princess is truly dead.

"Princess Zelda!" Impa threw her arms around her as soon as we walked into the throne room, "I'm so glad you're safe."

"I'm alright, Impa," Zelda assured, smiling at me, "Thanks to Link. I can always count on him to come through for me."

"Yes," Impa looked to me, giving me a nod of solidarity, "Yes, you can. Are you sure you're alright? Do you want me to send for a doctor?"

"Impa," she giggled sweetly, "I promise. I'm alright. You needn't worry so much about me."

"I don't worry about you enough, your highness," Impa bowed to me, "Well done, Link. Forgive me for ever casting any doubts about you."

"Thank you, Impa," I returned the courtesy, "But I did have help."

"Did you?" a deep, regal voice boomed out over his throne room. Immediately, both Luna and I dropped to our knees as the King of Hyrule stepped into the room.

"Your Majesty," Impa bowed as well, "The princess has returned safely."

"Daddy!" Zelda ran to her father's loving embrace.

"Zelda..." the King held her tight, "Thank the goddesses, you're safe. What's this I hear of you having help, Link?"

"My sister," I confessed, "Luna. She holds the other half of the Triforce of Courage, Your Majesty."

"And is this her?" he wondered, glancing over at Luna.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Luna nodded.

"I see," the King allowed us to rise, "The Gerudo princess, I presume."

"Forgive me, sir," she jumped at the mention of her old moniker, "But how did you know who I was?"

"I was told the Gerudo princess was in our midst," he settled her, "But I thought it was nothing but a rumor. Your reaction confirmed it."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Luna confirmed, "I am the Gerudo princess. At least I was. Now, I'm only Luna."

"Would you say you are no longer?"

"Yes," she assured.

"You know," the King looked her over, expressionless, "You've done quite a bit of damage in my kingdom, Luna."

"I know, sir," Luna quivered.

"And you were working for Ganondorf?"

I could tell that Luna was near the brink of tears. Why would the King be putting her on the spot like this? I can understand him being upset, but this was being downright cruel. Our king was much more just than this. I know she's done wrong in the past, but I refuse to let my sister be treated like this.

"Your Majesty, if I may," I stepped in, "Yes, Luna was working for Ganondorf, but she also helped stop him! If I didn't have Luna's help, I never would've been able to stop him. I never would've been able to save your daughter. Not to mention, on our quest for the Spiritual Stones, Luna has made all of her wrongs right again. She was also under Ganondorf's thumb the whole time! Until she realized what he was doing was wrong and ran off! Please. I beg you."

"Silence, Link," the King hushed me, "It is Luna, is it not?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Luna's voice broke.

"Then, your sentencing," he decided, "For crimes against the crown and against Hyrule, some to the severity deserving the penalty of death, it is my royal decree...to pardon you for Ganondorf's wrongdoings."

"Excuse me?" she perked up.

"Come here, child," the King beckoned, allowing her to approach, "Tell me what life was like for you."

"It wasn't pleasant, Majesty," Luna sat on the step at the King's feet, "Day in and day out, it was constant training. By training, I mean Ganondorf would tell some of the strongest moblins to attack me randomly throughout the day since I was ten years old. I fought for my life daily. Some of those moblins were rather aggressive. Some would beat me near death, but they could never kill me. Ganondorf needed me for my half of the Triforce, so if I were to die, he couldn't harness that power. There were days where I wished I was dead, but then, I realized that would only mean he won. And I would never allow such a thing. That's when I left in the dead of night with a few moblins of my own."

"My dear," he put his hand to her cheek, "You've been through quite a bit in your life, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"You had no choice then," the King smiled down at her, "That is why I'm pardoning you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Luna bowed, "I swear to you that you won't regret it."

"Wait," he stopped her, "This pardon also comes with two stipulations."

"Anything."

"First condition," he decreed, "You stay on the side of good and don't go back to evildoings."

"Absolutely," Luna agreed, "I've been down that road already and it's brought me nothing but misfortune. Although, it did bring me to Link."

"No more."

"Yes, sir," she put her head down.

"And your other condition," the King ordered, "You are to join the Hyrule Royal Guard. Effective immediately. Controlling moblins isn't an easy feat. Leading them is nearly unheard of. I'm sure that our strategy team would be lucky to have you. Do you accept the terms and conditions of your parole?"

"I accept, Your Majesty," Luna smiled, "Thank you."

"And just one more thing," he looked over her shoulder at me, "Stay by Link's side. He seems to bring the hero out in everyone he meets."

"You don't have to tell me twice," she shot me a quick wink, "He's the only family I have left now. We shouldn't be split apart."

"I couldn't agree more."

"Sir!" one of the other guards bolted in, "Forgive the intrusion, but I have news to report!"

"Yes," the King allowed, "What is it?"

"Link should no longer be trusted!" he drew his sword, "Not only was he harboring moblins in his house, but we have reasons to believe he was also harboring the Gerudo princess as well!"

"The Gerudo princess is dead," the King declared, "However, I am curious about the moblins, Link."

"They're with me," Luna admitted, "I told you that I escaped Ganondorf with a few of them."

"You kept moblins?" he gave her a look.

"They're loyal to a fault," I defended her, remembering what Luna told me the first day we met, "They wouldn't hurt anyone unless Luna told them to."

"You have no reason to worry," the King promised, "Link can still be trusted. Now, the Princess has been returned safely. I'd say that's cause for celebration. Would you agree, your highness?"

"Definitely," Zelda beamed, "Do you think we could celebrate tomorrow night, Father?"

"If you so desire," he allowed, "Prepare the kingdom!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the guard ran off to begin the preparations for tomorrow night.

"As for you two," the King turned his attention to Luna and me, "I'm sure you're both very tired."

"Please, Father," Zelda insisted, "Allow me to show them to their guest rooms."

"As you wish, my dear," he let her go, "Link...Luna...As King of Hyrule...and a loving father...Thank you for bringing her home to me."

"You're welcome, sir," I gave him one last bow and followed Zelda to the castle's guest rooms. I've only stayed here a few times before and I did promise Luna a room in the castle to rest up. Zelda brought Luna to her room first, then me to mine. Everyone was exhausted. The Triforce could only do so much for us. A good night's sleep would put us back into fighting shape.

The next morning, I woke up feeling a hundred percent better. I could take on Ganondorf again all by myself at this point. Or maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. Luna would have my head for saying something like that. I grabbed my shield and my sword and took a walk around the castle. Luna wasn't in her room where I left her. She must have gone for a morning run.

The castle grounds are definitely a good place for that. The gardens were so scenic. In fact, I should go down there myself. I slid on my boots and fastened the buckles, then headed down the spiral staircase at the end of the hall. I may not have found Luna there, but I did find the next best thing.

"One would think that the Princess would be getting ready for her party tonight this early in the morning," I snuck up behind her, "Unless she's hiding from her handmaids."

"Link!" Zelda's face lit up, "Good morning. I'm hoping you slept well, yes?"

"I did," I nodded, "And you?"

"Better than what I have in a long time," she admitted, "I'm just glad to be out of the desert. I missed Castle Town. I missed my bed."

"I'm sure Castle Town missed you, too," I sat with her, "I never got the chance to ask if you were alright."

"I was so scared, Link," Zelda vented to me, "But I knew that you were coming. Somehow, I could feel it in my heart that you would come to rescue me. You always do. That very thought gave me strength."

"If only a certain princess would quit getting taken," I teased, "But you're ok now. If you weren't, we wouldn't be having this party tonight. Are you even sure you want to do that so soon?"

"Now, you're starting to sound like Impa," she jabbed, "Yes. This is what I want. More than anything. I just want things to go back to normal. For you and me to meet in our tunnels again and run around under Hyrule."

"As would I," I took her hand. This was exactly what normal felt like.

"There you are, your highness!" one of Zelda's maids found us. Fantastic, "We've been looking all over for you! Come now. We need to prepare you for the evening's festivities."

"Ok," Zelda got up, "You will be there tonight, right, Link?"

"I wouldn't miss it," I vowed, "I will be there."

"I'll see you tonight!" Zelda's maid dragged her off to her parlor and left me alone in the garden. I had some time to kill before tonight. What to do, what to do. I could go find Luna, but who knows where she would be. I'm sure she's getting to know the other strategists. We had some of the best people in the kingdom running our military. Now, I had no one to play with. I guess I had to be by myself for a while.

I guess I could get ready for tonight, too. What did I have to do, though? All I had to was show up. All I could think about was tonight. The whole kingdom was going to be there. I knew it. Zelda was very particular about that sort of thing. Usually, the parties at the palace were meant for other royals, but Zelda...She wouldn't have such a stuffy affair. The castle gates were open to all of Hyrule, not just royalty. It's like she said. If the royalty can't mingle amongst their people, did they truly deserve to rule over them?

She'll make a fine queen one day. And I, for one, can't wait for her coronation day. Zelda will make a kind and just ruler like her father before her. She'll guide Hyrule with a firm, yet gentle hand. I'll probably get a promotion that day. Likely, I'll be right under Impa in rank. And Impa outranked everyone except for the royalty. That will be the day Hyrule ushers in a new, beautiful age of peace and prosperity.

Finally, the time came. The lanterns around the castle were lit brightly and people started pouring into the castle. Parties at the castle were always so beautiful and so lively. And they were never not a good time. First order of business when I get inside? I needed to find my sister, wherever she may be. I haven't seen Luna all day and she's got me worried.

Although, everyone else had to stop me and tell me how wonderful it was that I saved Zelda. Everyone from the common citizen of Castle Town to some of the Zoras that have shown up, the Gorons that have come. Even a few of the remaining Kokiri were here. This party was booming and I knew a certain princess that wouldn't have this any other way.

"Link!" There she was. Luna's ok. Good. I thought she may have been torn limb from limb in the town square, but people seem to be trusting our King's judgments. Luna was dressed head to toe in silver and blue armor. That armor was only worn by Royal Guard. However, I was the exception. Heaven forbid I stray from the aesthetic of the Hero of Time.

"Luna!" I threw my arms around her, the two of us letting off a soft glow together, "Where have you been all day? You had me worried."

"I was meeting with the Hyrule Royal Guard," she shrugged, "And they outfitted me with new armor. Isn't it gorgeous? A lot stronger than what Ganondorf gave me when I first arrived at his place."

"It suits you," I spun her around, "When do you start?"

"The King gave me the weekend off," Luna sat with me, "What are you doing all by yourself here?"

"I forgot how draining it was mingling with everyone," I chuckled under my breath.

"You know," she insisted, "You should go find Princess Zelda."

"Why?" I wondered, "Did she say she was looking for me?"

"No," Luna shook her head, "But I'm sure if you go up to her and ask her to dance, she won't say no."

"I don't know," my face felt hot, "She has royal duties to attend to here."

"Come on, Link!" she groaned, "Just go."

"Luna," I sighed out, "I don't even know where she is."

"She's somewhere in this room," she pulled me onto my feet, "Really pretty, really regal. I'm sure you won't be able to miss her. Princess Zelda tends to stand out in a crowd."

"But," I tried stopping her, "I can't dance."

"Yet you can come up with excuses for days," Luna saw right through me, "Don't be such a baby. Go, Link. You just saved the princess yesterday. The least she can give you is one dance."

"You saved her, too," I argued, "Why don't you go dance with her?"

"Because," she groaned, "I have a Goron chieftain looking for me that I'll have to dance with instead. Good luck with Zelda, brother. You can do it!"

Luna pushed me into the crowd and sent me on my search for Zelda. I knew she had other things to deal with right now, but I've always been her escape from them. Every single time. Why stop now? Now, where are you hiding, Princess? She could be right under my nose and I may not even know it. Although, I searched this entire ballroom and Zelda was nowhere to be found.

"Impa," I stood with her attendant near the main gate.

"Hello, Link," she greeted me, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes," I nodded, "Palace parties never disappoint."

"What can I do for you?" Impa asked, "You look like there's something on your mind."

"Have you seen Zelda?" I wondered, "I've looked all over and I can't find her."

"Zelda?" she thought for a moment or two, "I can't say that I have. Not since we got here. Sorry, Link."

"It's fine," I let it go, "But if you do see her, could you tell her I'm looking for her?"

"Sure," Impa promised, fixing my shirt collar, "What are you looking for Zelda for?"

"Well," I watched and stayed incredibly still while Impa continued fixing anything on me that could possibly be out of place, "I was hoping to dance with her tonight, but I have to find her first."

"I'm sure you will," she finished up, "If I were you searching for Zelda, I would look in one place that the two of us know better than anything."

"I don't think she'd be in the tunnels," I figured. For formal occasions, Zelda avoided getting dirty at all costs. I've done enough of them with her to know.

"Well then," Impa shrugged, "Why not search the castle? You did say you only looked in the ballroom. There are many other rooms she could be."

Then, it clicked. I bet I knew exactly where Zelda was. With so many people in one room, I'm sure she was feeling a bit claustrophobic, "Thank you, Impa."

"I'm not quite sure what I did," she gave me a look, "But you're welcome. Go find Zelda. Wherever she may be."

"I will."

I ran off from the ballroom and headed straight for the one place I knew Zelda would be. When she became overly stressed, no matter the weather, she always sought refuge outside. And where, oh, where, would the kingdom's princess be hiding? Where else? In the center of the castle gardens. One of the most beautiful places in Hyrule, if I'm being honest. Sure, Zora's Domain in the winter was stunning and sunsets over Death Mountain were brilliant, but they had nothing on the castle gardens. Sure enough, there she was. Her off white and lavender dress draped over the stone bench, shining in the moonlight. There she was.

"Excuse me, Princess," I joined her, "But there's an entire party inside just for you."

"Not just for me," Zelda moved over, offering me a spot on her bench, "It's for you, too."

"I was doing my job," I pointed out, "My civic duty to my kingdom. Do you think any of the other members of the Royal Guard would've been able to save you?"

"Maybe Impa," she thought, "But even Impa's power is limited. She would still need the help of the other sages. We can't all be the Hero of Time."

"Everyone's been calling me that tonight," I blushed, "There aren't many I would run into the flames for like that. You, Luna, Saria. That's it."

"I'm honored," Zelda rested her head on my shoulder, "If I haven't said it enough, thank you, Link. For always being there for me no matter what."

"Always will be," I promised, snaking my arm around her. Zelda seemed awfully comfortable. It'd be a shame to ruin it. But I had to be the one to do it, "Hey, Zelda…"

"Yes, Link?"

"Do you think…" my hands started to sweat. No. I can't hold Zelda's hand when it's all sweaty. That's gross. Come on, Link. Pull yourself together. You've known this girl since you were kids. You've been around her for most of your lives. You can do this, "Do you think I could trouble you for a dance?"

A soft, gentle smile graced her face, "I thought that's why you were looking for me. I'd be honored. We should go back inside then."

"Why bother?" I pulled Zelda onto her feet, "It's nice out here. The stars are bright. The moon is big. And it's just the two of us. Why would we want to ruin that?"

"Alright," she laid her head on my chest just under my chin, "Nervous, are we?"

"Why would you say that?" I bit my lip, slowly moving with her.

"I can hear your heartbeat," Zelda pointed out, "It sounds like you're going to explode."

"I'm fine," I lied, my heart racing even faster.

"Link…" All of a sudden, we stopped moving. Zelda looked up at me with those big, beautiful, blue eyes of hers catching beams of moonlight that only made them sparkle more, "There's something I've been meaning to give you for a very long time, but the moment never seemed right."

"Oh?" I wondered, "And what's that?"

Zelda moved her arm around my neck, bringing my face closer to hers. And with one subtle movement, my knees turned weak. She just…Did she just kiss me? Not that I'm complaining. But Zelda's lips…They were just on mine. So…soft…She giggled so cutely, "Was that too forward of me?"

"I'd say it was a long time coming…" I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in for another one. It's been so long that I've loved this girl and now, I'm glad that not only she feels the same, but that our first moment together was like this. I couldn't have asked for a better night, nor a better friend. I had my princess. I had my sister inside. What more could I ask for?

 **A/N: And now, we're done. Granted, I thought about a way to work Luna into the end, but Link and Zelda needed their time alone. And I'm glad they got it. I'm proud of those crazy kids for doing what they've wanted to do since 1987, but Nintendo didn't have the grapes to do it. Also, as much as I love Link dearly, that poor boy wouldn't dare make the first move. There's no way. He's too awkward, but I still love him all the same. Now, I'm going to go. It was nice hanging out with you guys while it lasted, but I'm going to go back to my original Tuesday update starting next week. I miss my Ouran High School Host Club fic. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. If you want to keep up with what I'm doing, you can always give me a follow here and my social media sites are in my bio if you want to fog up the outside of my bedroom window. Whether or not I ever do another Zelda fic is up in the air, but it's a thought. See you guys later. xx**


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